After brother’s death on Russian frontline, Goraya man to stage dharna demanding justice
‘Martyr’ status for Mandeep, at least Rs 5 crore compensation for family, lifetime pension for his parents, strict legal action and arrests of all agents, among demands presented by the deceased’s brother Jagdeep Kumar
Nine days after Jagdeep Kumar brought back the body of his younger brother, Mandeep Kumar, in a wooden casket from Delhi — who lost his life fighting on the Russian frontline during the Russia‑Ukraine war — Jagdeep has announced he will hold a protest in Goraya on Monday to demand justice in the case.
Steadfast in his stance not to cremate Mandeep Kumar’s body until he receives justice, Jagdeep’s resolve has intensified amid repeated attempts by the Jalandhar administration to cremate the body. Meanwhile, his home in Goraya has become a hub for families of Indian soldiers who fought in Russia or whose sons are dead or missing. People from Ludhiana, Amritsar, Azamgarh and Delhi have been visiting Mandeep’s house over the last week.
Apart from Sarabjit Gill (Amritsar), Dev Bhushan (Delhi) and Karan Bhandari (Amritsar), who have been staying with him on and off, others who have reached out include family members of Umeshwar Prasad (26), Deepak (28), Yogendra Yadav (48), Dheerendra Kumar (48), Vinod and Arvind — all from Azamgarh — and Samarjit Singh from Ludhiana — all of whom died or went missing on the Russian frontline.
Jagdeep Kumar has presented the administration with a list of seven demands, saying Mandeep will not be cremated until they are met. The demands include: immediate “martyr” status for Mandeep Kumar; compensation of at least Rs 5 crore for his family; lifetime government pension for Mandeep’s parents; strict legal action and arrests of all agents involved, including those accused of human trafficking and forcibly recruiting youth into foreign armies; return of Rs 35 lakh paid to agents by Mandeep’s family; a high‑level judicial inquiry; a specific policy and strict monitoring system for the safe return of other Indian youth stranded abroad.
He clarified that unless these demands are accepted officially in writing, the cremation of Shaheed Mandeep Kumar will not be performed.
Jagdeep said, “I have been persuaded to cremate Mandeep’s body, but only one agent has been arrested, and none of our money (or anyone else’s) has been returned as Indian men continue to die on the Russian border. We shall hold a protest on the Goraya highway tomorrow to press our demands. Mandeep’s body won’t be cremated until we receive justice.”
So far, Jagdeep has been visited by PPCC state president Raja Warring, Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, RS MP Balbir Singh Seechewal, Phillaur AAP Halka incharge Principal Prem Kumar, and leaders of the BSP, SGPC, and BKU (Ekta Sidhpur), among others.
District administration officials, including the SDM, tehsildar, and DSP Phillaur, have also been trying to persuade him to cremate Mandeep’s body.
