Give cowards a befitting reply: Kin

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, February 15

Darkness engulfed Dhewa village in Jawali, the native village of CRPF jawan Tilak Raj (30), who was killed in a powerful IED blast on the Jammu-Srinagar highway on Thursday. His shattered family members — Savitri Devi (wife), two sons, Layak Ram (father) and Bimla Devi (mother) — could barely speak.

The mortal remains are expected to arrive at the village by late evening or tomorrow morning. The cremation will take place tomorrow.

Tilak Raj had joined the CRPF in 2007. He was on leave and had left for Srinagar on February 11. The couple was blessed with a baby boy just 22 days ago. His father Layak Ram is a labourer and elder brother Baldev a salesman. The family is shattered and has no idea how to come to terms with the loss. The parents said: “We are proud of our son, but we want Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give a befitting reply to those behind the coward act. We have lost our son, our everything. We hope that the government does something for his children and give a government job to his wife.”

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Kishan Kapoor visited the martyr’s family this morning and gave the family a cheque for Rs 5 lakh. Tilak Raj was also a folk singer and used to write and sing ‘Pahari’ songs. His folk song ‘Meira Sidhu Bara Sharabi’ was an instant hit on the YouTube. Recently, he made an album, which he hadn’t released yet.

He also played kabaddi. Tilak Raj studied in a government school at Pargor. Two other students of the school — Lal Singh and Bir Singh — too were martyred during the Kargil war.