Army personnel killed in Galwan clash laid to rest with full military honours
Havildar K Palani, one of the 20 Indian army soldiers killed in a violent clash with the Chinese troops in Ladakh, was laid to rest at his native village here with full military honours on Thursday.
A gun salute was accorded to the slain soldier before his mortal remains were buried at Kadakkalur village in the district, as scores of people including family members bid a tearful adieu to Palani who had made the supreme sacrifice on Monday.
Officials from the armed forces, the district Collector, police personnel and elected representatives paid tributes and placed wreaths before the casket carrying the mortal remains of Palani. Officials later handed over the Indian tricolour, wrapped on the casket, to the family members of the departed prior to the burial. Palani’s minor son performed the related rituals.
Earlier, the slain soldier’s mortal remains arrived at Madurai airport late on Wednesday, where officials from the armed forces paid their last respects to him. The body was later brought to his residence early on Thursday. District Collector K Veera Raghava Rao paid respects to the mortal remains and handed over a cheque for Rs 20 lakh, the solatium announced by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami, to the family.
Related News: China suffered 35 casualties during Galwan clash: US intel
Meanwhile, in Telengana, the mortal remains of Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu, who was also killed during these clashes, arrived at his residence in Vidyanagar on Wednesday night. The body was flown from the national capital in a special aircraft to Hakimpet Air force base near Hyderabad at 8 PM.
A defence press release said the Indian Army paid its last respects to Santosh Babu. The mortal remains of the officer were received at Hakim pet Air Force Station by senior government officials and Military personnel of Headquarters Telangana and Andhra Sub Area with full Military honours befitting a soldier.
Santosh’s wife Santoshi along with her two children landed at the Hyderabad airport on Wednesday morning from Delhi. Cyberabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar received them at the airport and consoled the family members.
People on the way holding tricolour flags showered flowers on the ambulance which was carrying the colonel’s body. The emotionally charged crowd holding national flags raised slogans of “Santosh Babu amar hai” as the tricolour-wrapped coffin was brought out of the ambulance by the army personnel.
Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and Telangana IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao were among those who paid their last respects at the airport station before the mortal remains were brought home. Offering condolences, the governor in a statement said the slain officer’s supreme sacrifice would be remembered by the nation.
Telangana Pradesh Congress President Uttam Kumar Reddy met the bereaved family and handed over a condolence letter written by party president Sonia Gandhi. At many places across the state, people and members of different political parties and other organisations paid floral tributes to the army officer.
“The funeral will take place on Thursday at the family’s own land. The family members will perform their rituals in the morning. Afterward, the last rites will be performed as per army honours. We are allowing only 50 people for the last rites. There will be a separate enclosure for media at a nearby piece of land,” Suryapet collector T Vinay Krishna Reddy told PTI.
Related News: Don’t want any more clashes, Galwan Valley was always ours: China
On Monday night, 20 Indian Army personnel including a colonel were killed in the clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh, the biggest military confrontation in over five decades that has significantly escalated the already volatile border standoff in the region. The clash in Galwan Valley on Monday night is the biggest confrontation between the two militaries after their 1967 clashes in Nathu La when India lost around 80 soldiers while over 300 Chinese army personnel were killed.
