Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, May 25: The last rites of Rifleman Pawan Kumar Singh, who attained martyrdom in Manipur’s Chandel district in militant attack on May 22 were performed with full military honours at his native village of Khanak near here.
A large number of people from surrounding villages besides relatives and friends of Rifleman, Pawan Kumar attended his funeral procession which started from his residence in the village this morning.
The mourners gave a touching adieu to the martyr with tears yelling from hundreds of eyes.
Pawan Kumar was killed in an ambush laid by militants in Manipur’s Chandel district on May 22.
His father Baldev Singh and eight-year-old son performed the last rites at their ancestral village in Hiranagar tehsil of the district.
Military, police and civil officials paid their last respects to the martyr by laying wreaths. Wreaths were also laid on the behalf of the Chief of Army Staff, the Army Commander of Western Command and the General Officer Commanding of Rising Star Corps.
Brigadier Bimla Monga, Station Commander, Basohli and Janglot attended the funeral along with other officers and jawans of the Indian Army. The Station Commander conveyed deep condolences to the family of martyr.
DC Kathua, SDM Kathua and other senior officers besides NPP chairman, Balwant Singh Mankotia, Ex-MLA Girdhari Lal and Ex-MLC Subash Gupta attended the last rites.
The Rifleman was among the five 29 Assam Rifles personnel and a JCO killed on Sunday in an attack on their convoy by heavily armed militants in Joupi Hengshi area of Chandel when the security personnel were returning after inspecting a landslide site in the interiors of the tribal district.
Kumar is survived by his wife and two children aged five and seven.
His family members said that he had joined the duty a month before the militant attack after being on leave for one month following the death of his mother two months back.
They said one cousin of Pawan Singh who was also an Havaldar in army had attained martyrdom in Mahore in 2002 in militants attack. Besides, one soldier of the adjoining village was also killed after being the member of NDRF rescue team during Kedarnath cloudburst and flash floods in 2013.
However, the local inhabitants were critical of the State Government as no minister or Legislator attended the last rites of the martyr or visited the family during last two days.
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