HYDERABAD: Sepoy Syed Mushtaq Ahmed was one of the 10 brave soldiers, who lost their lives after the avalanche that hit Siachen recently.However, more than grief for their tragic loss, sepoy Ahmed's kith and kin look up to the soldier as a source of inspiration and want the youngsters of the family to follow in his footsteps and join the armed forces.

The soldier, from Parnapalli in Kurnool district, is survived by his 21-year old wife Naseemun, six month old son Syed Mohsin and parents Syed Ibrahim and Najmunnisa.

“I will definitely encourage my son to join the army. I will not hesitate as it is a matter of honour,“ said Naseemum, adding that she required all the support she can get, given that she has no house or land. Explai ning how her marital life was cut short, she said.

“We got married on August 7 in 2014. Soon after, he left on account of his posting,“ she said.

Naseeemum heard about her husband's death on February 4.

An admiration for the armed forces, it appears, runs in the family. For it was the braveheart's older brother, 42-year-old Mohammed Muneer, who tried to join the forces in 1992.

“I had appeared for the physical test but unfortunately, couldn't make it. So far, I have asked four acquaintances of mine to join the armed forces and they have“ he said.

“However, Mushtaq did everything on his own. From clearing the physical test to the written test. Before being posted at Siachen last year, he served in a garrison in Bhatinda in Punjab,“ Muneer added.

Muneer plans to encourage his 10-year old son to enlist in the army after explaining to him the honour of protecting the country's borders.The deceased soldier's body was first brought to Begumpet airport and later transported to his village where he was given full military honours and laid to rest.

“My brother was buried at the graveyard near Jama Masjid in Parnapalli,“ Muneer said.

Family members told TOI that later on Tuesday, they received an exgratia of Rs 25 lakh from the Andhra Pradesh government.

“Deputy chief minister K E Krishnamurthy handed over a cheque to us a while ago. We thank the government for it,“ Muneer shared.

Meanwhile, Naseemun, who is pursuing BSc (computer science) hopes that the government will provide her a job. This, she said, would help her to provide for her son's future.



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