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Pride and patriotism prevail as Galwan Valley clash martyrs are laid to rest
Several incidents of burning Chinese goods and effigies of Chinese President Xi Jinping were witnessed in West Bengal on Friday.
More than gloom it was a sense of pride and patriotism that prevailed among the people who had gathered in large numbers to watch the family members perform the last rites of martyred sepoy Rajesh Orang at Belgoria village in south Bengal’s Birbhum district on Friday.
26-year-old Orang, was among the 20 soldiers killed in a violent face-off with Chinese troops along the undefined Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. Bipul Roy from Alipurduar district in north Bengal was also martyred in the same incident.
The Army cortege arrived from the Panagarh military hospital, where the body of Orang was kept for the night after a military aircraft brought his Tri-colour draped body from Leh via Chandigarh on Thursday evening.
Army personnel carried the coffin to Orang’s home around 9 am, where his family members –father Subhash Orang, mother Mamata Orang and sister Shakuntala Orang - broke down into tears.
“We are all proud of him. Given a chance I want to join the Indian Army and avenge his death,” said Abhijit Orang, his cousin. The two had spoken over the phone two weeks before Rajesh was killed.
Villagers started shouting patriotic slogans – Bharat mata ki jai, Vande Mataram and Jai Hind - and showered petals as army personnel arrived with Orang’s coffin on their shoulders. People from all across the district had gathered at the otherwise nondescript village of Belgroia from where Orang hailed.
“I have come from Dubrajpur which is around 30 km away. I just wanted to get a glimpse of the martyred soldier. I don’t belong to his village. But still I am feeling proud,” said Paresh Bauri, who had come all the way on his bicycle to witness the proceedings.
Rajesh’s body was buried in a field at the entrance of the village after a gun salute by the army. Villagers claimed that there are proposals to rename the village after Rajesh Orang. Leader of political parties, including MPs and MLAs, also could be spotted at the occasion.
In north Bengal’s Alipurduar district, the mortal remains of martyr Sepoy Bipul Roy was expected to reach the Bindipara village around 4 pm. Thousands of people thronged on both sides of the road leading to the village to pay their last respect. His body was kept at Hasimara air base after it was brought at 9.30 pm Thursday.
Bakul Roy, younger brother of Bipul said: “Though I have lost my brother, I want peace to be restored between China and India.
“I get scared every time I think about the future of my sister-in-law and niece,” Bakul who works as a daily wage labour in Bhutan said.
Bipul Roy’s last rites were completed in his native village in Alipurduar district around 9:30 pm on Friday.
Meanwhile, as a mark of protest, Chinese goods were thrown out and set on fire in places like Bagdogra near Siliguri. Protests also erupted in other parts of the state where small groups of people were seen burning effigies of the Chinese President Xi Jinping and raising slogans calling for a boycott of Chinese goods.
