Last rites of martyr Sohan Lal performed

The body of Rifleman Sohan Lal Bhagat being carried for performance of last rites in his native village on Wednesday. —Excelsior/Rakesh
The body of Rifleman Sohan Lal Bhagat being carried for performance of last rites in his native village on Wednesday. —Excelsior/Rakesh

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 15: The mortal remains of martyr Rifleman Sohan Lal who laid down his life in Manipur were consigned to flames with full military honours near his native village at Kupper in Bajalta area of Nagrota Constituency. (Click here to watch video)
The senior army officers, MP Jammu, Poonch Constituency, Jugal Kishore Sharma, MLA Nagrota Constituency, Devender Singh Rana, BJP leader Nand Kishore Sharma and local police officers besides hundreds of people and relatives of martyr attended the funeral procession.
Both MP, MLA and Army officers laid wreaths on the body of Rifleman and the brave soldier was given a touching adieu by the people who were present during his funeral.
Pal of gloom descended on the native village of Sarah Pargalta and Bajalta when the body of the Rifleman reached the village in an army van. The villagers rushed to the residence of martyr Sohan Lal with tears yelling their eyes to have a last glimpse of brave son of the soil who laid down his life for his nation and made them feel proud.
The one and half year daughter of the martyr Aarohi who was also looking puzzled seeing unusual crowd in her house during night hours as she was too little to understand the reality of life.
The wife of martyr Shashi Bala who is constable in J&K Police, his old parents Tiny Ram and Shanko Devi, relatives including four brothers of martyr and neighbours were wailing and sobbing.
There was a total pal of gloom in the village said Chaman Lal one of the relatives of Sohan Lal as we lost a brave son of the village. But at the same time we all feel proud of him that he made us feel proud  by giving a supreme sacrifice for his motherland.
Paying tributes to the martyr, BJP, MP, Jugal Kishore Sharma said he will be always remembered for his supreme sacrifice. He termed Sohan Lal a great soldier who not only made the people of Nagrota to feel proud but that of the entire J&K State.
He said the sacrifice of Sohan Lal will not go waste and it will redouble our resolve to take the fight against the terrorism which has eaten up the vitals of the society to logical conclusion. “The time has come when we should unitedly fight against the terrorism instead of doing politics on martyrs”, Jugal added.
National Conference NC), Provincial President and MLA Nagrota Devender Singh Rana also paid glowing tributes to martyr.
He lambasted the State Government for showing disrespect to martyr Sohan Lal  by not deputing any Minister to attend his funeral.
“The brave-heart, son of soil, hailing from Sarah Pargalta, Bajalta in Nagrota Assembly Constituency, who attained martyrdom in Manipur, deserved heroic send-off for his bravery but the insensitive Jammu and Kashmir Government chose otherwise”, Rana said after attending the last rites of the martyr at his ancestral village today.
The MLA Nagrota drew contrast to the martyrdom of Assam Rifles jawan Sohan Lal with his fellow jawan Inder Singh, who too attained martyrdom along with him when a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) exploded on November 13 at Chandel town in Manipur’s Chandel district, and said the latter was given state funeral by the Himachal Pradesh Government at Mandi. “This is how the martyrs are respected”, he added.
Rana, who along with the relatives and villagers of the martyr Sohan Lal Bhagat, were present when the army escorted his mortal remains to his village last night expressed anguish that the State Government did not show the minimum courtesy of ensuring the local police presence/escort when the martyr was brought home.