STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: BSF Constable Gurnam Singh returned home on Sunday to spend last night with his parents and other close relatives.
For the first time he could not greet his parents in his trademark style nor could he wish ‘Sat Shri Akal to his father’, a usual practice he followed while returning home from duty.
Draped in tricolur his last remains were received with patriotic fervour by thousands of villagers and family members outside his home. A hero’s welcome was given to him by his native villagers after he attained martyrdom while defending the borders of the country.
Gurnam Singh was injured in the sniper attack from the Pakistani side in Hiranagar sector on Friday morning.
The brave soldier succumbed to his fatal injuries late Saturday night in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in Jammu. The doctors in GMC had decided to shift him to New Delhi for specialised treatment but he succumbed to his injuries around 11.30 P.M.
His family had expressed a desire to shift him to New Delhi to save his life as they were not happy with his treatment in GMC.
After he succumbed, his family had expressed a desire to keep body of their son for one day at their native place in village Bhalesar Mangowali in RS Pura.
Conceding their passionate demand BSF authorities after attending a wreath laying ceremony at frontier headquarters in Paloura handed over his mortal remains to his family. The last rites are scheduled to take place in their native village on Monday.
The brave heart was one of the BSF soldiers who was instrumental in foiling the infiltration bid by a group of heavily armed infiltrators in Hiranagar sector of Jammu frontier on the intervening night of 19-20 October.
Hailing his supreme sacrifice Special DG Arun Kumar “it is a proud moment for BSF as one of our brave soldiers Gurnam Singh was able to repulse the infiltration bid and also killed some of the infiltrators”.
He said he attained martyrdom for the country while protecting the border of the mother Nation.
Special DG, Arun Kumar also announced that Constable Gurnam Singh’s name would be recommended for the highest gallantry award by the BSF authorities to the Government of India.
“Absolutely the gallantry award would be a lesser possible award for him as he deserves much more but we will be recommending for that”, Arun Kumar said in response to a specific query.
Kulbir Singh, father of Gurnam Singh while paying tributes to his son said.”Our son has sacrificed his life for the nation,no body is sad.We are all happy he attained martyrdom” in the line of duty.
His younger brother Mandeep Singh while remembering his elder brother said, “i want to fulfil last wish of my brother by joining the BSF.
Most vocal member of Gurnam Singh’s family and his younger sister Gurjeet Kaur appealed to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sanction one hospital for BSF jawans serving on the border. She said i lost my brother but i don’t want other jawans also succumb to their injuries for lack of treatment facilities.
