Martyr Lance Naik Pradeep Nain cremated with military honours in Jind village

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, July 8

The body of martyred Lance Naik Pradeep Nain, 27, was cremated with full military honours amid an emotionally charged atmosphere at his native Jajanwala village of Jind district today.

A sea of humanity descended to attend the funeral procession of the martyred para commando as his body was brought to his native village in an Army vehicle in the morning. He was killed in an encounter with the terrorists in Kulgam in South Kashmir on July 6.

Army personnel brought the body of the martyr to his home for paying the last tributes. His wife Manisha and mother Ram Snehi were inconsolable as they saw the body wrapped in the Tricolour. However, they mustered the courage to salute the departed soul and also paid floral tributes to the body.

Pradeep got married in 2022. His wife, who is three months pregnant, had to be taken to hospital on Saturday night as her condition deteriorated on getting the news of Pradeep’s martyrdom. She was discharged yesterday afternoon. Overwhelmed by emotions, Pradeep’s mother also fainted on a couple of occasions.

Pradeep’s father Balwan Singh, while trying to control his emotions, said it was his love for the olive green which made him join the Army. “He used to say from his childhood that he would become a soldier. He started preparations for getting recruited into the Army from his school days. He got through in the third attempt and joined the Army in 2015,” he said.

“He was never afraid of anything. Thus he got selected as para commando. I will miss him forever,” said his father with moist eyes. Pradeep’s younger sister Manju Bala said: “He has sacrificed his life to protect the country. It is a matter of pride to have such a brother.” As Pradeep’s body was being driven on an Army vehicle from his house to the cremation ground, thousands of people joined his last journey. As streets got crammed with people, many villagers climbed on the rooftops of houses. Slogans like ‘Shaheed Pradeep Kumar-Amar Rahe’, ‘Jab Tak Suraj Chand Rahega-Pradeep Tera Naam Rahega’ reverberated around the area during the procession.

Sanjay Kumar, a former sarpanch of the village, said: “Pradeep was dedicated to fitness from his school days. He along with a group of village youths used to follow a daily fitness routine. It was due to Pradeep’s inspiration that many youths of the village got recruited into the Army,” he said, adding that “his martyrdom has become a source of inspiration for the village youth”.

Health and AYUSH Minister Dr Kamal Gupta, Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala, Narwana MLA Ramniwas Surjakhera, Jind DC Mohammad Imran Raza, Jind SP Sumit Kumar and Narwana’s SDM Anil Duhan were among those who paid their tributes to the martyr.