Surgical strike: Their martyrdom has been honoured, says family of Uri attack martyr

Sepoy Harinder Yadav’s younger brother, Nagendra, said from Ghazipur, “It had to happen. Pakistan was never going to respond to talks.” Nagendra is himself preparing to join the Army. In Jaunpur, Sepoy Rajesh Singh’s brother Umendra said, “It is a good step, a consolation.” Sepoy Ganesh Yadav’s brother Suresh Chand said from Sant Kabir Nagar, “This action will boost citizens’ morale. The best part was that no Indian soldier lost his life.” And from Ballia, Lance Naik Rajesh Yadav’s brother Rakesh said, :This is the first time I am hearing Indian forces have conducted an attack. It is like a reply from the families of the martyrs.” Rajesh is survived by his wife and two young daughters.

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Jagnarain Singh (right), father of Havildar Ashok Kumar Singh. (Source: Express photo by Prashant Ravi)

J&K: Havildar Ravi Pal, Subedar Karnail Singh

‘This has raised our morale’

“Though our loss is irreparable, I felt good on hearing that our troops crossed the LoC to take on terrorists on their own soil,” said Vansh, 11, eldest son of Havildar Ravi Pal of 10 Dogra. Vansh, who has a younger sister aged seven, said he is proud of his father. “This has raised our morale,” said Joginder Singh, elder brother of Ravi Pal. He was happy with the government’s decision that the Army should cross the LoC to destroy terror launchpads. Subedar Karnail Singh of village Shibu Chak in Bishnah, near Jammu, Both soldiers are survived by their mothers besides their wives and children. Karnail has three sons, the eldest in Class XI and the youngest in II. His cousin Surinder Kumar said the strike could have been carried out earlier so that those carrying out terror attacks from Pakistani soil would have thought twice before doing so. He sounded a note of optimism: “While ceasefire violations cannot be stopped totally, the Indian strike across the LoC will certainly discourage cross-border terror and finally lead to lasting peace.”

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Naik Raj Kishore, injured in the Uri attack, died in Delhi the day after the Army conducted across the Line of Control. (Source: ANI photo)

Bihar: Naik Raj Kishore, Havildar Ashok Kumar Singh, Sepoy Rakesh Singh, Naik S K Vidyarthi

‘Just lost my husband, proud of him’

Naik Raj Kishore, injured in the Uri attack, died in Delhi the day after the Army conducted across the Line of Control. His distraught wife Kanchan Devi, on her way to Delhi from Piparpati village of Bhojpur, said they had been waiting for a miracle but it didn’t happen. “It is a good thing that our government is reacting now,” she said, “but my husband is gone now. We are proud of him but spare a thought for our family,” she said.

Havildar Ashok Kumar Singh’s father Jagnarayan Singh, who has lost two sons in the Army, said from Raktu Tola, also in Bhojpur, “It does give some satisfaction to learn that India is striking now. Even a blind man like me feels like going to the border.” Sepoy Rakesh Singh’s brother Harhangi Singh said from Badhdha (Kaimur): “We had announced a fast unto death. It feels good that our government has shown some spine now. And from Boknari, Gaya, Naik S K Vidyarthi’s wife Kiran Devi said her two daughters had been glued to TV set since it started showing news of India’s strike. “I wonder why the government did not think of such a strike earlier.”

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Maharashtra: Sepoys T S Somnath, Vikas Uike, Vikas Kulmethe; Lance Naik Chandrakant Galande

‘His soul can rest in peace’

“His soul can now finally rest in peace,” said Somnath Thok, father of Sepoy T S Somnath. “I feel his martyrdom has been honoured by the actions of the Indian forces. But no family should be forced to undergo what the families of these martyred soldiers had to go through.” In Satara, Lance Naik Chandrakant Galande’s father Shankar Galande, who has two more sons in the Army, said, “When my elder son told me India had killed terrorists in Pakistan, a vision of Chandrakant’s face came to my eyes. His death has not gone in vain.” In Amravati, Sepoy Uike’s father Janrao welcome the government action. “I am happy,” Janrao told The Indian Express, “and not just for my son. Vikas was not the only martyr. I am happy for all those killed. Sepoy Vikas Kulmethe’s wife Snehal said in Yavatmal, “The government did very well.”

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BSF personnel man the border at Dewali post of Akhnoor sector. (Source: PTI)

Bengal: Sepoys Gangadhar Dalui, Biswajit Ghoria

‘Good news but we can’t celebrate’

Sepoy Biswajit Ghorai’s family in Howrah district watched the news on television. “We cried day and night. His soul will now rest in peace,” said Ranajit Ghorai, his brother. Their father Rabindranath Gorai, however, said, “I don’t think I can celebrate this news the way others are. But I can’t deny that this is the only news in the last few days that have given me some relief.” In Ganga Sagar, Sepoy Gangadhar Dalui’s brother Barun Dalui, 15, said he has stopped going to school since the blow, their mother Shikha Dalui, 42, has been bedridden with shock and their father, Onkarnath Dalui, rarely speaks. “The strike was needed.”

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Army soldiers stand guard on a street on the outskirts of Srinagar. (Source: Reuters)

Jharkhand: Sepoys Naiman Kujur, Javra Munda

‘Deep loss but news is heartening’

“My personal loss is beyond anything I can express,” Sepoy Najman Kujur’s wife Bina, mother of a three-year-old son, said from Chainpur (Gumla). “But it was heartening to hear what the Indian soldiers have done.” In Meral (Khunti), Sepoy Javra Munda’s three daughters said the Army is avenging the deaths. His wife Jingi Devi said.

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(Source: File)

Rajasthan: Havildar Nimb Singh Rawat

‘Way to deal with terror’

The family in Rajsamand feels the government’s strike has avenged the death of the soldiers killed in the Uri attack. “We are happy that the government has acted tough against Pakistan. This is the way to deal with terror and it was long overdue,’ the havildar’s brother Rashu Singh said. “I feel that the Army has avenged the soldiers’ deaths.”