Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 2: As mortal remains of 30-year-old Army Major Arvind Bazala were cremated with full military honour at RS Pura here today, thousands of people from all walks of life accompanied the funeral procession for paying their last tribute to brave heart and son of the soil, who was killed when a Cheetah helicopter crashed at Sukna Military Camp helipad in West Bengal on November 30.
“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 his native village RS Pura today morning.
Major Arvind is survived by his father TR Bhagat (LIC Agent), mother Santosh Bhagat, Assistant Manager, J&K Bank, wife Aahana Bazala and brother Ankush Bazala.
As a mark of respect to the son of the soil, all business establishments and shops in ward number 10, RS Pura and adjoining wards remained closed while thousands of people gave tearful adieu to the Major Arvind.
A wreath laying ceremony was held at cremation ground, Ward Number 10, RS Pura. GOC Tiger Division Major General SK Sharma was first to lay wreath and pay homage to Major Arvind, followed by other Army and police officers, Minister Sham Choudhary, Bhushan Dogra (MoS), MLA Dr Gagan Bhagat, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Simrandeep Singh, family members of Major Arvind and others. The batch mates from Sainik School Nagrota also paid tributes to Major Arvind.
A gun salute was given to Major Arvind by the Army, even as his pyre was lit by his younger brother Ankush Bazala. Contingents of Army fired in air and paid homage to the martyr by reversing their arms.
Thousands of people from the far-flung adjoining cluster of villages bade farewell to the 30-year-old Major with moist eyes.
An alumnus of Sainik School Nagrota, he joined National Defence Academy (NDA) in the year 2005 as cadet and later passed out as Army Lieutenant from Indian Military Academy (IMA) Dehradun in 2009. He was first posted at Chatha, Jammu.
It may be mentioned here that the Cheetah helicopter crashed around 11.45 am at Sukna Military Camp helipad in West Bengal on November 30, when it was returning from a routine mission, resulting into death of Lieutenant Colonel Rajneesh Kumar and 2 Majors Arvind Bazala and Sanjeev Lathera, while Sapper Davie was critically injured.
A Court of Inquiry stands ordered into the incident.
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