Kathua bids adieu to its soldier shot in Manipur

our correspondent

Kathua, May 25

Rifleman Pawan Singh of 29 Assam Rifles, who attained martyrdom along with six other Army men at Jouti in Manipur in North-East on May 22, was cremated with full military honours at Khank village in Hiranagar tehsil of Kathua district on Wednesday.

Pawan Singh’s family members were inconsolable and completely shattered as martyr’s 11-year-old son Ansh lit the funeral pyre amid slogans of ‘Bharat mata ki jai’. Rich tributes were paid to the martyr, who was also accorded a gun salute, by hundreds of people from different sections of society.

The martyr’s father, Baldev Singh, fainted several times even as the villagers helped him reach the cremation ground.

In the morning, Pawan Singh’s body wrapped in Tricolour reached his native village where a large number of people and senior officers, including Deputy Commissioner Romesh Kumar and Commanding Officer Vimal Monga, were present.

Baldev Singh, who is a heart patient, said that he was proud that his son had laid down his life for the country. Pawan was only breadwinner of the family as his younger brother looks after agricultural activities at his home.

Pawan Singh had left his home to join duty on May 10 last after he had come on leave to perform the last rites of his mother, Attar Devi.

The martyr is survived by his wife Bindu and two children — Ansh Rajput and eight-year-old Palak Rajput. While Bindu was inconsolable, Ansh and Palak are yet to recover from the shock of their father’s death.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh expressed sympathy with the bereaved families and saluted the supreme sacrifice of the martyr.