Family still hopeful of jawan’s return

Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, February 22

The family of Nitin Rana, 27-year-old Army soldier who went missing in an avalanche in Kinnaur on February 20, is having sleepless nights. The parents are hoping for the return of their son.

Nitin, resident of Rit village in Jaisinghpur of Kangra district, was posted in J&K light infantry.

Lata Devi, mother, said, “She had worked hard to raise Nitin and I am sure that I will not lose him.” The kin are trying to console the family and praying for his safe return. Paternal uncle of Nitin Ajmer said the soldier had called up and talked to his daughter Sonia and his mother on Tuesday.

The next day, a friend of Nitin called up and told the family that he had gone missing in an avalanche, Ajmer said.

Saraswati, 84, grandmother of Nitin, said, “I just pray to god to spare the life of my grandson.” His younger brother Nikhil, who is also in the Army, returned from Kashmir.

His father Subhash Chand Rana said they were in constant touch with the authorities and hopeful that his son would come back safely.

Nitin did his schooling from Capt Vikram Batra Government College. He was a player of volleyball and basketball.

No trace of 5 soldiers

Shimla: Rescuers on Friday failed to resume a search operation owing to inclement weather near the Tibet border with Himachal, where an avalanche killed a soldier, while five others went missing this week. As the search entered the third day, the authorities suspected that the chances of survival of the five trapped in the snow pile were minimal. “On Friday morning, the search operation could not begin due to overnight snowfall. We are hopeful that the operation will resume later in the day as there are chances of the weather getting cleared,” a state government official said.