Post date: Jan 13, 2013 7:9:20 PM
Family members and fellow villagers of the slain Indian soldier, Lance Naik (corporal)Hemraj Singh, continue their hunger strike demanding that his severed head be returned which was allegedly taken away by the Pakistani Army.
SHERNAGAR, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (JANUARY 13, 2013) (ANI) - The kith and kin as well as fellow villagers of the slain Indian soldier, Lance Naik (corporal) Hemraj Singh, continued their hunger strike at Shrenagar near Mathura in northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday (January 13).
They have been demanding that the severed head of Hemraj Singh be returned which was allegedly taken away by the Pakistani Army.He was killed in the first border skirmish along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir when Pakistani forces allegedly attacked them.
The mortal remains of Hemraj Singh, were cremated at his village on Wednesday (January 09).
His mother Meena Devi has stopped eating and now her entire family along with other villagers are on a hunger strike demanding that the Indian government take stern steps against Pakistan and bring back Singh's head.
On their part, the villagers have been irked by the state government's attitude towards the martyr's cremation as they alleged that none of the ruling Samajwadi Party's (SP) representatives came for the funeral and only a handful of army personnel were present at the funeral parade.
They compared this with the funeral of the other slain soldier, Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh of Darhia village near Churhat in the Sidhi district of the neighbouring state ofMadhya Pradesh where the top functionaries of the region paid their last respects at the final rituals.
Expressing solidarity with the protesting family, leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP),Manish Sisodia met the family members and the other villagers at Shernagar.
Criticising the apathetic attitude of the state government, he pledged support to the family in every possible manner.
"Whatever has happened to this family was because of the country. A son of this family sacrificed for the nation. Instead of doing something, the people of the ruling party are saying that it is wrong for them (the family members and other friends) to protest. Ask these people who have not eaten anything. Ask the wife and the children who have been orphaned. I have talked to the brother Jai Singh. We shall provide all sorts of support to their family. We will try to take up this issue in any possible way," said Manish Sisodia.
At least four soldiers, two from each side, have been killed in clashes since last Sunday in disputed Kashmir, where the nuclear-armed enemies India and Pakistan are separated by a Line of Control (LoC) set up in 1948.
However, what has shocked the observers is that the Pakistan troops beheaded the personnel of the Indian Army, whose bodies were found in a dense forest area on the Indian side of the border, very much against the Geneva Convention.
Taken together, it is the worst violation of a nine-year ceasefire along the 740-km (460-mile) zigzag line across the mountainous Himalayan region, although exchanges of gun and mortar fire are commonplace.
Also visiting the family on Sunday was the president of the Samajwadi Brahman Samaj outfit, Sant Yuvraj, who is trying to broker in peace between the state government and the agitating villagers.
He said that Hemraj Singh would soon be given a proper honour by the Chief MinisterAkhilesh Yadav himself.
"I have spoken to the chairperson of the Samajwadi Party, Rajendra Chaudhary. Tomorrow or the day after that, the Chief Minister will himself come here. The martyr will be honoured. The people from other parties who are coming in here and making a political issue out of it, I would request them to let the martyr be in peace and not to make a political issue out of him," said Sant Yuvraj of Samajwadi Brahman Samaj.
Both governments of India and Pakistan have expressed anger over the latest ceasefire violation in Kashmir even as senior officials sought to calm fears that right-wing groups could seize the opportunity to derail years of diplomatic rapprochement.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said she was 'unpleasantly surprised' by Indian accusations against Pakistan, but tried allay fears that the stand-off could escalate.
But family members however continued to hold the government guilty for the insult ofHemraj Singh and reiterated their demand that his head be brought back.
Jai Singh, brother of Hemraj Singh shared his grievances with the media persons.
"We regard the federal as well as the state government guilty for this, as they have insulted my brother.
Q. What is your demand?
Our demand is not something big. My brother's head should be brought back and the Pakistanis should be taught a lesson," said Jai Singh, the slain soldier's younger brother.
Tensions over Kashmir are a cause for concern in Washington, which has been pushing for an improvement in ties between the rival nations so that Pakistan can focus on helping the United States promote peace in Afghanistan.