Tears and anger: Thousands join fallen CRPF soldiers on their last journey

india

Updated: Feb 16, 2019 18:19 IST

Tears. Anger. And Anti-Pakistan slogans. These are the three things that are uniting various villages across the country as the bodies of the killed CRPF jawans arrive home one by one.

At the homes of the 40 jawans who died in the Pulwama suicide attack on Thursday, people lined up to pay their last respects.

At Tirva Kannauj, thousands of people paid rich tributes to jawan Pradeep Kumar, whose body reached his home town around 9am today.

At Unnao, in Uttar Pradesh, Ajit Kumar Azad’s body was received by his family around 7am on Saturday morning. Azad, 35 is survived by his wife and two daughters.

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In Varanasi’s Tohfapur village, Ramesh Yadav’s body reached home around 8.30am. Locals holding the Tricolour high in their hands, shouted slogans of “Ramesh Yadav amar rahe (May Ramesh Yadav live for ever)”.

A small controversy erupted at Yadav’s cremation when his kin demanded a petrol pump and pucca road for the village.

Yadav’s family members also said that the administration had agreed to bring home Rakesh’s elder brother from Maharashtra but hadn’t done anything. They said they would not perform the last rites unless their demands were met.

It was only after minister Anil Rajbhar agreed to the family demands that they agreed to perform the last rites.

Family members of Kaushal Kumar Rawat break down as soldier’s body comes home. ( Raju Tomar/ HT Photo )

Sugarcane minister Suresh Rana pays homage to martyr Pradeep Kumar at his village Banat in Shamli district. ( HT Photo )

Thousands gather around to pay their last tribute. ( HT photo )

In Agra’s Kehrai village, the anger was visible as 48-year-old Kaushal Kumar Rawat’s body reached home and the villagers gathered together and raised anti-Pakistan slogans. Rawat’s cremation will be held at a location near his paternal house. Member of Parliament Chaudhary Babulal and MLA Hemlata Diwakar too are at the spot.

Amid tears, Rawat’s father, 80-year-old Gita Ram Rawat called for revenge and a befitting reply to Pakistan.

In Punjab’s Moga, the body of Jaimal Singh, who was driving the CRPF bus when it was blown up in the suicide bombing, has reached home. His cremation is took place in the afternoon with Union minister Harsimrat Badal, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu in attendance.

In Bihar, chief minister Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav paid tributes to constable Ratan Kumar Thakur and head constable Sanjay Kumar Sinha who lost their lives in the Pulwama attack.

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