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Martyr’s family calls off strike as Pune Municipal Corporation to meet soon over memorial
Three soldiers including Saurabh, a-33-year-old gunner with Indian Army, were killed in a militant attack on an army convoy at Pampore on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on December 17, 2016.
The parents of Indian Army gunner Saurabh Pharate, who was killed in the Pampore attack in December 2016, ended an indefinite hunger strike on Thursday, after assurance from the Pune municipal corporation (PMC) for building a memorial to their martyred son.
The Pune civic body has also scheduled a meeting with officials and corporators from the Hadapsar area on March 20.
Earlier, the family of the martyr had alleged that nobody is giving land for the memorial of their son.
Three soldiers, including Saurabh, a-33-year-old gunner with the Indian Army, were killed in a militant attack on an Army convoy at Pampore on the Srinagar-Jammu highway on December 17, 2016.
“A meeting of all the stakeholders, including local corporators, have been called on March 20 to finalise on the location for the memorial,” said Shrinath Bhimale, leader of the house, from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He said that at the meeting a decision on the location about the memorial will be finalised.
Nandkumar Pharate, the 60-year-old father of Saurabh said that they have received a letter from PMC about the meeting on March 20.
“We hope that all the local corporators will support the cause at the meeting and the decision on the location for the memorial will be finalised,” he said.
Three soldiers including Saurabh, a-33-year-old gunner with Indian Army, were killed in a militant attack on an army convoy at Pampore on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on December 17, 2016.
Earlier, mother of Saurabh, Mangal Pharate said that they have been running from pillar to post seeking land for the memorial of their martyred son.
“We raised the issue and sought the work progress details and even met Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and mayor Mukta Tilak. However, we just got promises from everyone,” she said.
“We wanted that the memorial be built in PMC-run Ramchandra Bankar school in Bhekrainagar, native place of the Pharates, as the memorial in the school could inspire the students. However, local politicians are playing spoilsport and thwarting efforts by saying that the school area is not good and the sanctity of the memorial will not be maintained,” she said.
When asked, former standing committee chairman of PMC Murlidhar Mohol said the civic body has already made an allocation of Rs 1 crore for the memorial.
