Indian sniper Gurnam Singh, critically injured in the sniper attack by Pak Rangers at a forward outpost in Hiranagar sector of Jammu frontier on Friday, is fighting a lonely battle inside Intensive care unit of the Government Medical college (GMC) hospital in Jammu.
Outside the ICU ward his parents and other close relatives are praying every minute for miracle to happen. At home his younger sister Gurjeet Kaur is also praying continuously while attending large number of well wishers and close relatives trickling in to ask about the well being of the brave heart.
On Saturday family members also appealed to the Government of India and BSF authorities to immediately shift him to a super speciality hospital for better treatment.
Speaking to reporters at her house near Arnia Gurjeet Kour said," if politicians can be airlifted by the Government for better treatment why jawans who are fighting for the mother nation and defending the frontiers cannot be shifted to a better hospital".
Urging the highest authorities in the Government to acknowledge the valour of his brother who played key role in foiling the infiltration bid Gurjeet said, "if the infiltrators had managed to cross the border they would have wreaked havoc but my brother along with other jawans prevented the same and also saved large number of innocent lives. He deserve better treatment,she added.
Gurnam Singh spoke to his family after foiling the infiltration bid late wednesday night. He was advised by his sister and parents to be careful while discharging his duty on the border.
His younger sister Gurjeet Kaur while sharing her last interaction with Gurnam said, "when I told him to be little careful he immediately told me, "I don't mind sacrificing my life for the mother nation. I am here to do my duty till the last breath. You don't worry I will be fine".
According to senior doctors of GMC, Jammu, "Though the BSF jawan has been operated upon but his condition continues to remain grim". He is yet to fully regain his consciousness.We are monitoring his status on hourly basis", one of the senior consultants told The Pioneer.
In the evening Additional Director General BSG Arun Kumar, paid a personal visit to GMC Jammu and enquired about the health of BSF jawan. ADG Kumar also met parents of Gurnam and gave them an assurance that the Government is trying to do their best to provide best possible treatment facilities to Gurnam Singh.He said if doctors permitted them he (Gurnam) would be airlifted to Delhi for specialised treatment.
Meanwhile, situation along the International Border remained tense during the day.
Deputy Commissioner Jammu had directed the SDM's in the border areas to monitor the situation and closed down the schools if required. As a preventive measure around 80 different schools falling in the forward areas were closed down. Following over night exchange of fire in RS Pura sector large number of villagers spent the night without winking an eyelid.
"Apart from firing, Pakistani Rangers fired 60 and 81 mm mortar bomb shells intermittently from 11 pm and it continued till early morning in Bidipur and Karotana in Suchetgarh sub-sector”, Deputy Commissioner Jammu Simrandeep Singh said. He said that due to firing and shelling four cattle were killed while to others were injured.