Odisha schools to have two-minute silence to pay homage to Pulwama martyrs

The homage to the jawans came after chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who termed the Pulwama terror attack as a ‘cowardly act’, urged all schools in the state to observe two minutes’ silence.

All educational institutions of Odisha observed two minutes’ silence at 11 am today in memory of the CRPF jawans who were killed in a suicide bombing attack on Thursday.

Students observe a two minute silence to pay tribute to the CRPF martyrs. Image for representation purpose. (PTI file photo)

The homage to the jawans came after chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who termed the Pulwama terror attack as a ‘cowardly act’, urged all schools in the state to observe two minutes’ silence. CRPF jawans Prasanna Kumar Sahu and Manoj Behera from Odisha were among the jawans who were killed in the Pulwama attack.

Officials said the caskets containing the mortal remains of Sahu and Behera would arrive at Biju Patnaik International Airport today after which they would be carried towards their respective villages. Sahu, a 48-year-old jawan, hailed from Parisikhar village in Jagatsinghpur district while Manoj Behera, 33, is from Ratanpur village in Cuttack district. Behera leaves behind his wife, one-year-old daughter and ageing parents behind him. Sahu leaves behind his wife and two teenaged children.

Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan will be present at Sahu’s native village Parisikhar during the last rites while union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram will be in attendance at Behera’s native village Ratanpur today.

Patnaik has already announced ₹10 lakh ex gratia for the next of the kin of Behera and Sahu.