When the body of soldier Sunil Kumar reached Patna airport on Wednesday, his elder brother Anil Kumar, himself an ex-Army man, said: “India should take revenge on China.”
Among the 20 Indian soldiers killed during a violent face-off with Chinese troops at Galwan along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, five were from different districts of Bihar.
Sunil Kumar hailed from Tara Nagar village under Sikaria panchayat of Bihta near Patna. His son and some other family members were also present at the airport to receive the body. Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, BJP MP Ram Kripal Yadav and several other State leaders turned up at the airport to pay last respects to the slain soldier.
Retired Army personnel took out a Tiranga Yatra in Danapur area. “If the government and our defence forces want our services, we are ready to go to the battlefield,” one of them told media persons.
Bodies of the other four soldiers — Chandan Kumar (Bhojpur), Jai Kishore Singh (Vaishali), Aman Kumar (Samastipur) and Kundan Kumar (Saharsa) — are expected to be brought to Patna by a special flight on Thursday. “I feel proud on my son’s martyrdom. I have two grandchildren and I will send them too to serve in the Army,” said Nimindra Yadav, father of Kundan Kumar.
Youth wings of several political parties burnt effigies of Chinese President Xi Jinping and appealed to people to boycott “Chinese goods”.
Surprise for family
Amid the mourning, good news came for family members of soldier Sunil Rai from Saran district whose name was there in the list of slain soldiers. The sombre mood of the family turned into joy when Mr. Rai himself called up his wife Menaka Devi on Wednesday. He said the confusion was due to same name of another soldier posted at Leh. Even the names of their fathers are said to be same, Sukhdeo Rai.
“I spoke with my husband over the phone today. God has given me a new lease of life,” a beaming Menaka Devi told journalists.
