Sepoy Sandeep Somnath Thok was to get married after the Diwali festival. But, the destiny played a cruel joke on him, as he fell to bullets sprayed on him by terrorists in an attack on Indian Army camp at Uri in Jammu & Kashmir on Sunday.
Thok, who was to have turned 25 on October 17, was one of the four soldiers from Maharashtra who were killed in the Uri terror attack.
While Sandeep was a native of Kadangli village in Nashik district of north Maharashtra, three other martyred soldiers from Maharashtra are: Maharashtra and Chandrakant Shankar Galande of Jashi village in Satara district of western Maharashtra, Vikas Janardhan Kudmethe from Purad Village of Yavatmal, Vikas Janrao Uike of Nandgaon-Khandeshwar in Amravati, both in eastern Maharashtra.
“Two months back, Sandeep had come on a vacation. At that time, we had fixed marriage. He was to enter into wedlock after the Diwali festival. His family had begun to make preparations for his marriage. But, we have lost him before his marriage,” Sanhdeep’s relative Dnyaneshwar Chavan said. “We are proud of him that he has laid down his life for the nation. But, we are sad that he is no longer with us. He was very friendly in nature and would mingle with everyone in the village,” Chavan said.
Chavan rooted for retribution against those behind the Uri attack.
Born on October 17, 1991, Sandeep had joined the Army of his own volition in 2012. Initially, he had earlier served with the Bihar Regiment and was briefly in Dehradun military establishment before being transferred to the 22 Maratha Regiment. He had joined the duty in Uri a few weeks ago and was t0 return home around Diwali to get married.
Sandeep’s father is a tailor, while his brother does farming on a small piece of land owned by his family. His family members – his aged parents and brother – were excited about Sandeep’s impending marriage. But, they got rude jolt when the message of Sandeep’s death reached them on Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, an atmosphere of grief and anger enveloped four villages of Maharashtra, where the people mourned death of the four soldiers killed in the Uri terrorists’ attack and waited for the arrival of mortal remains of their martyred sons
Vikas Kudmethe (27) had joined the army five years ago and was married two years back. He is survived his wife wife and a daughter besides aged parents.
Vikas Uike (26) had joined the army in 2009, following in the footsteps of his father Janrao who is a retired soldier.
In Nandgaon, from where Uike hailed, people staged an impromptu protest and raised anti-Pakistan slogans. “He called two days ago. He said he was doing well. Today he is no longer with us,” his mother Baby Uike said.
Chandrakant Galande (27) had joined the army in 2012 and is survived by his aged parents, wife Nisha and sons Shreyas (5) and Jai (3).
“I wanted all my three sons to join the armed forces… They respected my wish. Today, my youngest has been martyred. I am proud that he has sacrificed his life for the nation,” Shankar Galande said.