Anantnag martyr Major Ashish Dhonchak cremated with full military honours at Panipat village

Tribune News Service

Binjhol (Panipat), September 15

The last rites of Major Ashish Dhonchak were performed with full military honours at his native village Binjhol here on Friday. Major Dhonchak was martyred during a gunfight with terrorists in Anantnag district of South Kashmir. Amid slogans of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, ‘Vande Mataram’, ‘Jab tak suraj-chand rahega, Ashish tera naam rahega’, hundreds of people participated in the funeral procession and bid a tearful adieu to the officer.

Lal Chand, father of Major Dhonchak, and Major Vikas Dhonchak, cousin of the martyred soldier, lit the pyre.

Deputy Commissioner Virender Kumar Dahiya read out the CM’s condolence message and paid tributes by offering a floral wreath on behalf of the CM.

Earlier today, the body of Major Dhonchak arrived at his newly constructed home in TDI City, where he had planned to shift on his birthday on October 23. On seeing the body, his father went into shock and was consoled by people gathered there.

The body was then taken to the cremation ground at his native village in an open military vehicle. Raising patriotic slogans, a kilometre-long cavalcade of motorcycles and vehicles escorted the funeral procession. Along the road, schoolchildren were seen waving the Tricolour and scores of people showered flower petals.

It took over three hours to cover a 9-km journey from his house to the village. His mother Kamla Devi and three sisters saluted him at the cremation ground and bade him a tearful adieu. His wife Jyoti and three-year-old daughter Vamika also arrived at the cremation ground. “We are proud of our brother. He is a son of the country,” said the sisters.

Hundreds of people from adjoining villages turned up for the cremation. Some scaled the walls of the cremation ground and climbed the roof of sheds to witness the last rites. The air reverberated with the sentiments of patriotism, as scores of people carrying the Tricolour raised slogans.

Among others, senior Army officers Lt Gen DP Pandeu and Brig Ram Naresh; MLAs Mahipal Dhanda and Pramod Vij; BJP’s district president Archana Gupta; BJP leaders Lokesh Nagroo and Sanjeev Dahiya, SP Ajit Singh Shekhawat and AAP leader Ashok Tanwar attended the funeral.

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