Naib Subedar Paramajit Singh’s mortal remains were consigned to flames with full military honours at his native village in Tarn Taran on Tuesday. Paramjit was killed on Monday by Pakistan’s Border Action Team while on patrol duty. After killing the 42-year-old soldier and BSF head constable Prem Sagar, the Pakistani troops mutilated their bodies.
Hundreds from Paramjit’s village in Vainpoin and surrounding areas gathered to pay their respects, including senior army officers. Paramjit’s coffin was draped with the tricolour and was brought to the cremation site in a bedecked vehicle. The ceremony was briefly held up after his relatives demanded that they be shown Paramjit’s body. However, it went ahead after officials persuaded them.
Singh is survived by his aged parents Udham Singh and Gurinder Kaur, wife Paramjit Kaur and three minor children — daughters Simardeep Kaur and Khushdeep Kaur, and son Sahildeep Singh, who are aged between 11 and 14.
Shocked by the demise of the soldier, who was to arrive at his village a week later on holiday, his family and friends has demanded a befitting reply be given to to Pakistan Paramjit Kaur lamented that no senior functionary of the government had come to meet the family or attended the funeral. She also demanded that the Centre should give free hand to army so that Pakistan is taught a stern lesson.
“Our government had once said that if Pakistan kills or beheads our one soldier, as many as ten enemy soldiers will meet the same fate, but what is happening now. If the government cannot teach Pakistan a lesson, then they should allow me to take revenge of my husband’s killing,” Kaur said. The anger was palpable among the villagers in Tarn Taran, a border district close to the Indo-Pak international border, against Pakistan.
While “Shaheed Paramjit Amar Rahe” slogans rent the air, “Pakistan Murdabad” slogans were also raised. Pakistani flags were also burnt at some places in Punjab on Tuesday, including at Ludhiana, where protesters demanded that Pakistan should be paid back in the same coin.
The martyr’s father Udham Singh said he was proud of his son, but wanted that Pakistan be given a befitting reply. “Their action has caused much pain. They should be taught a lesson,” he said.
Paramjit was the only earning hand in the family. The family lives in a semi-kutcha house. Struggling to hold back her tears, his daugthter Simardeep said she was proud of her father, who had laid down his life for the nation.
Udham said Paramjit had wanted to give the best possible education to his children and had talked about about renovating his house so his kids could get more space to study and play. His elder brother Ranjit Singh said the entire village and the country is proud of the sacrifice. He, however, demanded that the government should give the army a free hand to hit back at the enemy.
Ranjit was also critical of the government, saying barring the area MLA “who turned up at the last moment for the cremation, the rest had stayed away”. “My brother has sacrificed his life for the nation and not for his family. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh should have been here today, he has served in the Army and should know the pain we are going through. Not just him, but nobody from the government found time to be with us in this hour of grief,” he told reporters.
A childhood friend of Paramjit also asked, “Why can’t our government give a befitting reply to Pakistan. Give our Army a free hand. The Sikh Regiment alone is enough to take on Pakistan.”
Courtesy – PTI
