Galwan Valley clash: Those killed include four soldiers from Punjab and one from Himachal Pradesh

Punjab lost four ‘sons’ while Himachal Pradesh lost one in the clash with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley of eastern Ladakh on Monday midnight. A pall of gloom descended in their respective villages soon after the news of theirmartyrdom reached early this morning.

The martyrs include Naib Subedar Mandeep Singh who hailed from Seel village in Patiala;Naib Satnam Singh who belonged to Bhoj Raj village in Tehsil Gurdaspur; Sepoy Gurtej Singh of Birewala Dogra village in Mansa and Sepoy Gurbinder Singh of Tolawal village in Gurdaspur district of Punjab. Ankush Thakur, a third-generation soldier, was a resident of Karohta village in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh.

According to reports, Gurbinder Singh (22) was engaged to get married almost eight months ago, and he was planning to solemnize the marriage shortly. A 12th pass, Gurbinder Singh had joined the Army in 2018, his brother Gurpreet Singh told NH with a choked voice, adding that the news of his death was not revealed to his mother as she would not be able to bear the loss. Labh Singh, father of the deceased, was inconsolable when someone asked him about when the body would arrive.

Naib Subedar Mandeep Singh was the sole bread earner of his family, which comprised of his mother, wife and two children. His mother Shakuntla, wife Gurdeep Kaur and children Mehakpreet and Jobanpreet were inconsolable after they came to know about the demise of Mandeep Singh. Mandeep had re-joined duty two weeks ago after a month’s leave.

Gurtej Singh (23), a resident of Birewala Dogra village in Mansa, is survived by his father Virsa Singh, mother and two elder brothers. He had made a phone call some days ago to inform the family of his impending arrival at home. Friends and relatives rushed to his house and consoled the bereaved family after news of his demise came in.

A pall of gloom descended in Karohta village of Himachal’s Hamirpur district soon after the news of 21-year-old Ankush Thakur reached this morning. A third-generation soldier from his family, Ankush had made it to the Army in 2018. He was deployed with the Punjab Regiment ten months ago after completing his training in Faizabad.

Ankush’s father Anil Thakur and grandfather had also served in the Army.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jair Ram Thakur sent his condolences to Thakur’s family and expressed solidarity with them.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the four Army personnel killed in the Galwan Valley clash. He also announced ex-gratia compensation, along with a government job to a next of kin of the deceased.

The loss suffered by the families was immeasurable and could not be compensated with material things, but the compensation and the jobs would help alleviate some of their sufferings, said the CM, paying his tributes to the four men.

The Chief Minister said Cabinet ministers would represent the state government at the martyrs’ funerals, which will be held with full Army honours in their native villages. He directed the respective district administrations to make all arrangements befitting the occasion for receiving the bodies of the fallen soldiers.

While one family member each would be given a government job in all the four cases, the families of Naib Subedar Mandeep Singh and Naib Subedar Satnam Singh, who were both married, will be given Rs 12 lakh compensation each in line with the government policy.

The families of the two unmarried martyrs, Sepoy Gurtej Singh and Sepoy Gurbinder Singh will be give Rs 10 lakh each as compensation (Rs 5 lakh as ex-gratia and Rs 5 lakh in lieu of land).