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Woman mourns husband’s death at RS Pura camp

The grief-stricken Sukhanya Devi, who lost her husband Gahar Singh in Pakistani shelling, at a relief camp in RS Pura on Tuesday. Tribune Photo: Inderjeet Singh

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

RS Pura, January 23

A woman who lost her husband in border shelling at Bera village is unable to go back to her home to mourn his death and perform religious rituals for him without any fear.

Sukhanya Devi lost her husband Gahar Singh (45) in Pakistani shelling from across the International Border on January 20 in the RS Pura sector. Besides Gahar Singh, two more civilians died on that day on the border, including Tarseem Singh of the Gajansoo area and Ghara Ram of Kapoorpur.

Such was the intensity of the shelling that the family members of Gahar Singh had to bring his mortal remains to a relief camp established at the ITI building in RS Pura town. All religious rituals before the cremation were performed at the camp and last remains were consigned to flames at the cremation ground in the town.

“Our village’s cremation ground is situated near the border where taking the body was impossible as the shelling from the Pakistani side continued unabated that day. We were left with no option but to move to the relief camp and perform cremation in the town,” said Sukhanya Devi, who has been staying in the camp since January 20.

Twleve persons, including five soldiers, have lost lives in Pakistani shelling on the International Border and Line of Control since the January 17-18 intervening night. Over 50 people, including soldiers, have been injured. A huge damage has also been inflicted on property of border residents.

With an uneasy calm prevailing on the border for the last 36 hours, Sukhanya Devi, her three sons along with other villagers are putting up at the migrant camp. Sukhanya is receiving the mourners at the camp while her sons are preparing to head to Haridwar for performing the last rituals of their father.

“Everything is being done here only as it is not safe to go back home. We wanted to stay at our home during the mourning period but can’t do anything as the circumstances are against us,” said Vijay Chib, sister-in-law of Sukhanya.