Three weeks after cremation, family refuses to immerse Faridkot Agniveer Akashdeep Singh’s ashes

Three weeks after the cremation of Agniveer Akashdeep Singh (20), his ashes are still at his home, as his family is waiting for him to be granted the martyr status.

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Every morning and evening, Balwinder Singh and his wife, Karamjit Kaur, sit beside the ashes of their elder son, praying in trembling voices.

Akashdeep died on May 15 due to a bullet injury while on duty in Jammu and Kashmir. He was cremated two days later and the bhog ceremony was held on May 25.

“We have not immersed his ashes yet. How can we say our final goodbye when we don’t even know how our son died? We deserve answers and he deserves honour. We will immerse his ashes only when justice, in the form of the martyr status, is given to him,” says Balwinder, a machine operator.

Balwinder says he spoke to only one Army officer since the incident. “We are planning to go to the place where Akashdeep was posted. Maybe, we will find some peace or answers to our questions there,” he says.

A photograph of Akashdeep in uniform rests beside the plate containing his ashes in their modest home at Kothe Chahal village near Kotkapura in Faridkot district.

The silence in the house is often broken by visitors. “Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan has come at least six times to offer support. But each time, his words have been the same that the government can only act once the investigation report is shared by the Centre,” says Balwinder.

Meanwhile, Balwinder’s younger son, Komalpreet Singh, an NCC cadet, has decided not to follow into his brother’s footsteps. “I wanted to become a soldier just like Akash, but now I avoid the subject altogether,” says Komalpreet.

Their grief is not limited to their house alone. Some youths from nearby villages, moved by Akashdeep’s story, have also announced to boycott the upcoming Agniveer recruitment tests.