Pulwama attack: Grieving kin of martyred CRPF personnel urge to government to act

NEW DELHI: A day after terrorist attack claimed the life of 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, a pall of gloom has descended over the villages and cities of the slain jawans. The family members of the martyred soldiers have asked the government to give a be-fitting reply to Pakistan. In Uttar Pradesh, father of Ramesh Yadav, a soldier who lost his life in the terror attack, urged the government to initiate a probe into the matter and give a befitting reply to Pakistan. "My son came home 25 days back. We received a call from Srinagar yesterday evening. The officer on the line told us that a terror attack has taken place and they are not yet to recover the body of my son. Each year, many soldiers are dying in India. He was the only breadwinner of the family. Now, we will face trouble in educating his child. I request the government to give a befitting reply (muh-tod jawab) to Pakistan and also start an investigation at the earliest," he told ANI.In Bihar, jawan Ratan Thakur's father too urged the Centre to give a befitting response to Pakistan. "I have sacrificed a son in Mother India's service, I will send my other son as well to fight. Ready to give him up for Mother India, but Pakistan must be given a befitting reply," he said.In Rajasthan, when Rohitash Lamba, Bhagirath Singh and Hemraj Meena left their homes earlier this week with the promise that they would return to their families soon, few imagined that it would turn out to be their last visit. Lamba, Singh and Meena were among the 40 CRPF personnel martyred. Their families recalled their passion and love for the country as they grieved the demise of their loved ones. Barely two months ago, Lamba had expressed his joy on becoming a father on the social media. He rejoined duty on February 12 after spending several days with his family, including his two-month-old son.A pall of gloom descended at Govindpura Basadi village near Shahpura, around 65 km from Jaipur, as the news of Lamba's death reached. In Jharkhand, a pall of gloom has descended on Pharsma village of Vijay Soreng, who was among the martyred jawans. "I feel proud of the martyrdom of my son. I expect from the government of India to avenge the killings," Brish Soreng, a retired army person and the father of Vijay Soreng, told news persons visiting his home on Friday. A CRPF officer gave the sad news of Vijay's death to his family last night following which villagers have been flocking his home in Pharsma village in Basia block of the district, about 94 km from capital Ranchi. Vijay's mother said she wants a revenge for the terror attack. Born in 1974 and completing matriculation in 1990, Vijay had joined the force in the Signal group in 1993. The family of 27-year-old Bhagirath Singh, a resident of Jaitpur village in Dholpur district, was struggling to come to terms with the loss.On Friday, the entire village of Jaitpur mourned the death of the young man. "We never knew that he would leave us so early. He had promised his father and family to return soon two days ago but they had never imagined that it would be his last visit home," Jaitpur sarpanch Kapur Chand Gurjar said. He said that Singh's mother had passed away when he was a kid. His father Parshuram, a farmer, brought up his two sons alone. Singh joined CRPF four years ago, whereas his younger brother Balveer joined Uttar Pradesh Police. Singh got married Ranjna four years ago and has three-year-old son Vinay and a-year-and-a-half-old daughter Shivangi. Hemraj Meena's wife Madhu received a call from the CRPF camp in Jammu around 10 pm Thursday, informing her about his demise. Soon after the news reached the area, villagers came out their homes and gathered outside Meena's home to pay their tributes. Kota-Bundi MP Om Birla, local MLA Bharat Singh, former MP Ijayraj Singh, former MLA Bhawani Singh Rajawat and several other dignitaries and administrative officials reached Meena's home and consoled the wailing family. Hemraj Meena, the only government servant among four brothers and one sister, had been full of love for the country and patriotism since his early days, his elder brother, who runs a tea stall in the village, said. Hemraj Meena is survived of four children -- two daughters and two sons. In Punjab, Jaimal Singh of Moga district, Sukhjinder Singh of Tarn Taran, Maninder Singh Attri of Gurdaspur and Kulwinder Singh of Ropar were the among the CRPF martyrs. "Sukhjinder leaves behind a seven-month-old son, who was born after a gap of eight years. He had just come home to celebrate the first Lohri of his son. He had gone back only recently," Gurnam Singh, a villager said. A resident of Ghalauti village in Dharamkot subdivision of Moga district, Jaimal Singh, 44, was the driver of the fateful bus that was blown up in the attack. "Our son has been martyred for the country. Though the loss can never be filled, our government and Army should teach a lesson to Pakistan for this cowardly act," father Jaswant Singh said. Jaimal Singh leaves behind his ageing parents, wife, a 10-year-old son and a younger brother. Satpal Attri, father of Maninder Singh Attri, said that his son had gone back to join duty on February 13 only and had called him up after reaching Jammu. "He died the very next day. We are proud of him even though our loss can never be filled," Satpal Attri said. Maninder's younger brother is also serving in the CRPF and is posted in Assam now. The other trooper from Punjab who also died in the Pulwama attack is Kulwinder Singh from Anandpur Sahib area of Ropar district. He was to get married in 2019 later.In Maharashtra, hundreds of grieving locals descended on the homes of the two troopers on hearing the news of their demise. Nitin Shivaji Rathod and Sanjay Rajput were both residents of Buldhana district in Vidarbha. Hailing from a farming family of Chorpangra village, Rathod (36) joined the CRPF in 2006. He leaves behind his wife Vandana and two minor children — Jeevan (8) and Jivika (5). "We are shattered by the news, which we received shortly after midnight. Our aged parents Shivaji Rathod and Savitribai are inconsolable," said Rathod's younger brother Pravin, who helps his parents on their farm. Sanjay Rajput from Malkapur village had joined the paramilitary force almost 20 years ago and served in J&K, Chhattisgarh and the Northeast. He is survived by his wife Sushma and two sons — Jai (13) and Shubham (11)."He left for Nagpur on February 11 for his new posting with the 115th Battalion in Srinagar. When I called him on Thursday around 9.30 a.m., he informed me that he had left Jammu at 3.30 a.m. to join his new assignment. Later around midnight, we were informed of his demise," Sanjay Rajput's brother Rajesh told media persons at the village. Forty CRPF personnel were martyred and five injured on Thursday in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district.The bus was part of a convoy of 78 vehicles carrying over 2,500 CRPF personnel from Jammu to Srinagar.