The mortal remains of Naik Deepak Nainwal who had died on Sunday after battling for life for days at an army hospital in Pune were consigned to flames at Kharkhari cremation grounds here on Tuesday. Deepak had sustained bullet injuries during a 17- hour encounter with the terrorists in Kulgam district in Jammu and Kashmir on April 10. Earlier, as the martyr’s body was brought from Military Hospital in Dehradun to his residence in Sidhpuram colony at Harrawala the chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat among others paid tribute to the martyr.
The scene at the cremation ground when the martyr’s son and daughter were crying inconsolably while staring at their father lying lifeless under heaps of wreathes and flowers left many present there teary-eyed. Further poignancy was added to the scene as the martyr’s mother fell unconscious on seeing her son being put to flames. The district magistrate and SSP Haridwar were among those present during the cremation. The son of the martyr lit the funeral pyre amidst the chanting of appropriate mantras.
The grieving father of Deepak said that that the government must desist from using such deaths for political purposes. “The morale of Indian army is now on the low as the faulty policies of the government are leading to such rising number of causalities in the army,” he added.
Earlier, while paying tribute to the martyr at his home in Dehradun, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said that depending on the educational qualification, one member of Nainwal’s family will be appointed to a government job. Consoling the bereaved family members he assured them that the state government will provide all possible assistance to them.