Sepoy cremated in Ferozepur village

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, January 2

Sepoy Jagsir Singh (32) of 19 Punjab regiment was cremated with state and military honours at his native village, Lohgarh Thakran, in Zira subdivision near here today. Jagsir had died in an exchange of fire with Pakistani troops in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

He is survived by parents Amarjit Singh and Gurmit Kaur, wife Mohinder Pal Kaur, daughters Nigamjit Kaur (5) and Gurneet Kaur (3) and son Jagdish Singh (2). His younger brother, Jasbir Singh, who reached here from Dubai, lit the pyre.

Jagsir’s colleagues, including Subedar Swaran Singh and Havildar Manmohan Singh, said he was a brave son of the soil who sacrificed his life for the motherland. Enraged villagers raised anti-Pakistan slogans when the sepoy’s body arrived in the village in an Army vehicle this afternoon. His mother sought retaliatory action against Pakistani forces.

Zira MLA Kulbir Singh was represented by his father, Inderjit Singh Zira, while Ferozepur (Rural) legislator Satkar Kaur’s husband Jasmel Singh and former state BJP chief Kamal Sharma attended the cremation. No MP or MLA was present on the occasion.

Deputy Commissioner Ramvir said the nation was proud of Jagsir as well as the border district of Ferozepur. “The state and Central governments will provide help to the family,” he added.

Others present included BS Rajpurohit, DIG, BSF; Bhupinder Singh, SSP; Harjit Singh, SDM; Lt Col Amarbir Singh Chahal (retd), Deputy Director, Sainik Welfare; and Lt Vinod Kumar.

Former minister Inderjit Singh Zira said a village road leading to Jagsir’s house and the government school where he had studied would be named after the martyr.