A pall of gloom descended on Seel village in Patiala as the news of Naib Subedar Mandeep Singh’s death, in a clash with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley, reached them on Wednesday afternoon.
The 39-year-old firearms instructor with Army’s 3-Medium artillery unit had told his family that his unit was moving to Bathinda next month.
His two children, Mehakpreet Kaur, 17, and son Jobanpreet Singh, 11, were excited that their father was finally going to be posted closer home. His wife, Gurdeep Kaur, 37, and mother Shakuntala Devi, 70 too could not wait for him to be back.
Five days ago, he had called them, saying that he won’t be able to contact them for the coming few days as his unit was marching towards the Line of Actual Control (LAC). On Wednesday afternoon around 3, they found out that he was no more. He was the sole breadwinner of the family.
{{/usCountry}}Five days ago, he had called them, saying that he won’t be able to contact them for the coming few days as his unit was marching towards the Line of Actual Control (LAC). On Wednesday afternoon around 3, they found out that he was no more. He was the sole breadwinner of the family.
{{/usCountry}}His cousin, Captain Nirmal Singh (retd), said, “Around 10am, I received a call from the army authorities that Mandeep had received multiple injuries in the attack. Later, they told me that he had attained martyrdom.”
His wife and children remained inconsolable. “We have lost everything. We never thought such a day would come,” said his mother, tightly clinging to his photograph. Youngest of four children, Mandeep had joined the Army in December 1997.
Patiala deputy commissioner Kumar Amit, who reached the village along with senior superintendent of police Mandeep Singh Sidhu, said, “We are coordinating with army authorities for the last rites of the martyr. The mortal remains are expected to reach by Thursday.”