Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Feb 22: As mortal remains of Captain Tushar Mahajan were cremated with full military honour at Devak Ghat, here today, thousands of people from all walks of life accompanied the funeral procession for paying their last tribute to brave heart son of the soil, who laid down his life while fighting militants at Pampore in Kashmir yesterday.
“Captain Tushar Amar Rahe”, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and other patriotic slogans rented the air amidst waving of National Flag by the people as soon as tricolour wrapped body of the martyr reached Udhampur. As a mark of respect to son of the soil and his supreme sacrifice, all business establishments and shops in the Udhamnpur town remained closed on Monday while thousands of people gave tearful adieu to the martyr.
Earlier in the morning, a wreath laying ceremony was held at Northern Command Headquarter; after tri-colour wrapped dead body of the martyr arrived here by chopper.
Lt Gen DS Hooda, GOC-in-C Northern Command, was first to lay wreath and pay homage to the martyr. He was followed by other Army officers, Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, DIG Surinder Gupta, family members of the martyr and others in paying tributes.
After wreath laying ceremony, Army took the body with full honour to the martyr’s native home at Adarsh Colony Udhampur where it was kept till late in the afternoon for paying last tribute by locals, who had thronged the locality in thousands.
The cremation took place in the evening at Devika Ghat where a large number of people, including former Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, State BJP president Sat Sharma, other prominent persons, Ex-Armymen and officers had assembled for according farewell to the martyr.
Captain Tushar Mahajan attained martyrdom in the line of duty while neutralizing terrorists holed up inside the EDI complex in Pampore area of Pulwama district yesterday. Leading from the front, Captain Tushar received four bullet injuries on his person and was rushed to the Army hospital where he succumbed to his injuries last evening.
Son of Dev Raj- a retired Principal, 24 years old Tushar was unmarried and his only brother works in USA as Engineer.
According to father Dev Raj, even though he lost his son, Tushar has made the entire nation, especially his hometown proud. “Though I have lost my son I am proud that he laid down his life for the nation, an honour which only a few can get,” he said and added that Tushar always wanted to join the Army as serving the country was his passion and the family never objected to it.
Meanwhile reports from Jind in Haryana said that a tearful adieu was today given to 23-year-old Capt Pawan Kumar, who had also died fighting militants in Pampore, with his last rites performed at his native village with full military honours.
On the Army and Government’s appeal, Jat protesters had cleared up the roads leading to the martyr’s village. The Army had appealed to the people of Haryana to extend support in giving a “befitting farewell” to the brave son of the soil.
The martyr’s body draped in the tricolour was flown from Pathankot, where a wreath laying ceremony was held.
A gun salute was given to the martyr by the Army at Badhana village, even as his pyre was lit by his father Rajbir Singh, a school teacher.
Despite Haryana, including Jind district, being hit by the Jat stir, a large number of people turned up to pay tributes to the son-of-the-soil. Senior officials from the Army and senior Ministers of the Haryana Government, Capt Abhimanyu and Om Prakash Dhankar, besides State BJP president Subhash Barala and opposition party leader INLD leader Ramphal Majra paid their last respect to the martyr.
Capt Abhimanyu, who was seen wiping off his tears while paying tributes to the officer, said that his sacrifice had taught a lesson to the youth of the State that if one has to lay down his life, it should be for the sake of one’s country. “I salute the great son-of-the-soil. Future generations will forever remain indebted to him,” Abhimanyu said.
The young captain of the Special Forces, was an inspiring leader who inspite of being injured earlier in an anti-terrorist operation, went on to volunteer for more operations.
Meanwhile, mortal remains of martyr Rajkumar Rana, who was killed during militant attack on CRPF in Pampore, were also cremated with full State honours in the cremation ground of his native village, 15 km from Jogindernagar this morning.
Thousands of people from the far-flung adjoining cluster of villages bade farewell to the 41-year-old departed martyr with moist eyes. Rana is survived by wife and two daughters. His elder daughter, Anshita lit the pyre.
The sleepy village resounded with loud slogans of ‘Raj Kumar Rana Amar Rahey’. Contingents of Army and Police fired in air and paid homage to the martyr by reversing their arms.
Following on the foot-steps of his father Hari Singh, Rana had joined CRPF in 1999. He had come home in December, 2015. With tearful eyes relatives told newspersons that he had promised to come to attend the marriage of his niece scheduled to be held on March 4.
Youths of marshal communities, present there, pledged to join the armed forces to take revenge against the enemy and decimate extremists and terrorists. Senior BJP leader and former PWD minister Thakur Gulab Singh and Ram Swarup Sharma, the MP from Mandi Parliamentary constituency also attended the cremation.
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