Soldier killed in Pak shelling cremated; son to join Army
Ravinder Saini
Tribune News Service
Jhajjar, January 3
Amid chants of “Jab tak suraj chand rahega, tab tak tera naam rahega’ and “Bharat Mata ki jai”, the mortal remains of Naib Subedar Ravinder Jakhar (40) were today consigned to flames with full military honours at his native Salhavaas village. He was killed in Pak shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district.
People from all walks of life attended the last rites and paid homage to the departed soul. JJP leader Ajay Singh Chautala also attended the funeral. The pyre was lit by the martyr’s elder son Nitin Jakhar.
Earlier, Ravinder’s body covered with the Tricolour was brought to the village in a procession of motorbikes and cars.
“I am proud of my husband who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. I have two sons and I am ready to send them to the Army to serve the nation,” said Rajwanti.
Ravinder was a third generation soldier. His father Meer Singh Jakhar and grandfather Sheo Chand Jakhar also served in the Army. His elder brother Jitendra Jakhar is Subedar and his son Nitin recently cleared the physical test and is looking forward to joining the Army.
Ravinder had visited his home three months ago and went back to Rajouri a day before Diwali on November 13 after spending over a month in the village.
“Ravinder was so passionate towards joining the Army that he started preparations for it soon after the completion of his Class XII exams. He joined the Army in 1998 and participated in the 1999 Kargil war. Our entire family has served the Army and we want our next generation, too, to follow in the footsteps,” said the martyr’s elder brother Jitender.
“We have built a house in Ambala so that our children can get good education and crack the requisite exam for getting into the Army. Nitin was preparing for the medical exam – a prerequisite for joining the Army when the tragic news of his father’s death came on Friday evening,” he added.
