Gulawad: At Mohammadpur village in Haryana’s Palwal district, thousands thronged to the cremation of Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar, who was killed on the frontline during shelling by Pakistan forces.
The air was pierced by cries of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, and the occasional “Jai Shree Ram”.
On Wednesday, Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar, who was patrolling the Line of Control (LoC), was killed during shelling by Pakistan.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Indian armed forces, in the early hours of Wednesday, launched Operation Sindoor, striking terrorist infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the Pahalgam attack on 22 April.
On Thursday, the village of Gulawad, Mohammadpur, which has only 15-20 houses, was overrun with people who had come to pay their last respects to the soldier. Women in ghoonghat and young men on bikes came from all over Palwal and from nearby villages in Haryana.
The courtyard of Dinesh’s house was full of people—some standing on the staircase that led up to the terrace, while others sat on the terrace, peeping down from behind the handrails.
Dinesh is survived by his wife, Seema, a lawyer, and two children—a daughter, 7, and a son, 3. His family also has his parents, four brothers and a sister.
“We came to know that our son was killed at the border yesterday evening. My son wanted to be a part of the Army since he was in Class 10. He was recently promoted as well,” Dinesh’s father Dayachand Sharma told ThePrint.
With a cry of “Bharat Mata ki Jai,” he said, “I have sacrificed my son for this country, and I will send more people from my family into the Army.”
Before Dinesh’s mortal remains were brought to his home, his body was taken around the village and the nearby area, where residents came out to see him for the final time. The Indian flag could be seen everywhere, including wrapped around his coffin.
When his coffin finally reached his home, it was placed in the courtyard, where his mother and pregnant wife looked at him for the last time. His wife broke down in tears, while his mother lovingly caressed the photo that was later put on his coffin.
“I could not speak to him for the last time,” his wife mournfully shared with ThePrint. “He called me Monday at 9 p.m., I was sleeping as I had taken medicines. When I called him back, he said, ‘I will call you in an hour’. I kept waiting till 1 a.m., but he never called.”
Dinesh’s body was taken to an open ground in the village, where it was placed on a raised platform. His family members garlanded his body.
A woman among the crowd called out, saying that, even though the people are sad, we are proud of Dinesh’s sacrifice. “We will not cry. This is a sacrifice for the village, for us.”
After a gun salute and grand ceremonial drill, Dinesh was cremated.
As his father sat in one corner, looking at the burning pyre, he shared his resolve again: “Two of my sons are in the Army, I will send more people from the family.”
Kapil and Hardutt, Dinesh’s younger brothers, are associated with the Army. While Kapil is posted at Jalandhar, Hardutt is currently a trainee in the Army. The youngest brother is also preparing for the police exams.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)