New Delhi, May 5
Lt-Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora, the hero of the 1971 war for liberation of East Pakistan and who oversaw the surrender of over 90,000 Pakistani troops was today cremated here with full military honours with people from all walks of life coming over to pay their last respects to the General.
The mortal remains of Lt-Gen Aurora, a recipient of Padma Bhushan and Param Vishisht Seva Medal, were consigned to flames at the Brar square crematorium at Delhi Cantonment. The priests performed customary religious rituals before the pyre was lit by his son, Kiran.
Earlier in the morning, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi visited the General’s Aurora daughter’s house where the body had been kept in state and laid the wreath.
General Aurora, a chronic heart patient, had been admitted to Sir Ganga Ram hospital for a routine examination but a sudden cardiac arrest at 1 am on Tuesday led to his death at the age of 89.
Minister of State for Defence B. K. Handique, Defence Secretary Ajay Vikram Singh, Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh, Vice-Chief of Army Staff V. K. Thakur, former Prime Minister I. K. Gujral and host of admirers of the late hero also placed wreaths.
A wreath was also laid on behalf of three Chiefs of Defence Staff and by the acting High Commissioner of Bangladesh in India.
BJP leader V.K. Malhotra,
Sushma Swaraj and Madan Lal Khurana and National Commission for Minorities Chairman Tarlochan Singh were also present. A military guard offered a reversed gun salute after firing three rounds in the air as a mark of respect for General Aurora. The bugle then sounded the “last post” to bid farewell to the departed soul.
They followed it with a sounding of the rouse, signalling that the life goes on.
