Kharagpur: Samiran Singh, 28, a soldier in the 169th battalion of the Indian Army, was supposed to come home to Kuchladari village in Jhargram’s Sankrail on Saturday. Instead, all that reached were his mortal remains wrapped in the tricolour. Singh was among 10 soldiers who died in an accident in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda when an Army vehicle plunged 200 feet into a gorge.When Singh’s fellow soldiers of the Bravo Company brought his body home, his parents, relatives and neighbours broke down in tears.
Gopiballavpur MLA Khagendranath Mahat had arrived at Singh’s home to pay final respects, accompanied by district council education officer Suman Sahu, coordinator Ajit Mahatu, the block development officer and other block officials.At sunrise, the body was taken to the village school ground so that locals could bid their final farewell. People arrived with flowers and tear-filled eyes. Singh’s mother, unconsolable, kept saying that her son had promised to come back home. His father stood speechless, his tears falling on the national flag.
