Avtar Bhat
— Excelsior/Rakesh
JAMMU, June 7: An emotional and tearful farewell was given to six valiant soldiers of 6 Dogra Regiment from Jammu region who lost their lives in a militant attack at Manipur on Thursday as their last rites were performed in their respective native villages with full military and State honours near here, today.
These brave soldiers were among 18 Army men of the Regiment who laid down their lives in a militant attack in Manipur on Thursday.
Besides, the officers and jawans of Indian Army, police and civil administration, thousands of mourners drawn from all walks of life attended their funeral procession and gave a touching send off to them. The mortal remains of the martyred soldiers were brought in an Indian Air Force plane to Jammu late last night where from they were sent to their native places by road.
Seven bodies of the soldiers were brought to Jammu late last night by an Air Force Plane. One of the bodies was of a soldier from Punjab and the rest were the bodies of soldiers from here,’’ Jammu based Defence spokesman Lt. Col Manish Mehta said.
He said a wreath laying ceremony at Satwari Cantonment area of the Jammu based Tiger Division was organized by the Army, he added.
The bodies were then sent to native villages of the soldiers for last rites. Before the dispatch of the mortal remains of the soldiers for last rites and military funeral, wreath laying was conducted at Station Headquarters Jammu. The wreaths were laid by Maj General Dushyant Singh, GOC, Tiger Division, Air Commodore Ashutosh Lal, Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station, Jammu, Station Commander Jammu, Col. A Mathur, Administrative Commandant and other officers.
In the worst such attack insurgents ambushed a military convoy in Manipur’s Chandel district, killing at least 18 Army men and injuring 11 others.
Thousands of mourners including women joined the funeral procession of Havaldar Satpal Bhasin at Muthi which started from his house to cremation ground covering a distance of over one kilometer on foot.
Maj Gen. Officer Commanding, Crossed Swords Division attended the last rites and military funeral of Havaldar Randeep Singh at Village Bomal Akhnoor along with a sea of mourners drawn from different parts of Akhnoor tehsil who were present to bid an emotional send off to the martyr.
Brig Vivek Sharma, Deputy General, Officer Commanding, Crossed Swords Division along with thousands of mourners and Army men attended the last rites of Havaldar Sunil Kumar at Sunderbani.
During the cremation of Havaldar Satpal Bhasin, Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh, Minister of Forests and Social Welfare, Bali Bhagat, BJP State president and MP, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Minister of State for Education and Culture Priya Sethi, MLA Sat Sharma (CA), BJP senior leader Yudhvir Sethi and ex MLA, Bharat Bushan, Commander Domana Brigade. Prabik Bark, IGP and DC Jammu were also present. The Army officers also laid wreaths on the body as a mark of respect. There was traffic jam on Akhnoor road and the authorities had to divert the traffic via Akalpur Bohri road.
Army officers and jawans along with thousands of mourners drawn from surrounding areas and BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma participated in the funeral procession of Lance Naik Kuldeep Raj at village Barn in Jammu. He too was given an emotional send off by the people. The family was in a deep shock and grief as Kuldeep was its lone bread earner.
MLA Nowshera, Ravinder Raina along with an uncountable number of mourners attended the funeral procession of Havaldar Sunil Kumar at Sunderbani. He too was given a touching adieu by the people.
Minister of Industries and Commerce Chander Prakash Ganga, former Ministers Surjit Singh Salathia and Manjit Singh, Brigade Commander and thousands of mourners bid touching adieu to martyr Naib Subedar, Ram Singh at Swankha More Vijaypur in Samba district.
Sepoy Vijay Kumar was cremated in his native village Serh, Khour in Akhnoor with full military honours.
Paying homage to the martyrs, Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh said the sacrifices of Dogra soldiers won’t go waste. He termed the attack on Army personnel in Manipur as cowardice and distressing. He said the land of Dogras has a tradition of making sacrifices for their nation and with the valour and courage displaced by them they have made the entire nation proud of. He said the sacrifices of Dogras in unity of State or creation of State are exemplary and every one feels proud of it.
Dr Singh also met the grieved families of the martyrs at Muthi and Barn and expressed his heartfelt condolences to them. He assured all support to them in this hour of grief and praised the bravery of these martyrs in defending their motherland.
He was accompanied by Minister of Forests and Social Welfare Bali Bhagat, BJP president and MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, Minister of State for Education and Culture Priya Sethi and BJP leader Yudhvir Sethi.
Meanwhile, HP Government has announced Rs 5 lakh as ex-gratia for each family of martyrs in the State while J&K Government has not made any announcement in this regard so far.
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