Tamil Nadu loses two bravehearts in Pulwama attack

CHENNAI/TRICHY/MADURAI: Two bravehearts from Tamil Nadu, G Subramanian and C Sivachandran, were among the CRPF jawans killed when a suicide bomber targeted their convoy in Pulwama in J&K.
Subramanian’s family in Savalapperi village near Kovilpatti in Tuticorin district, initially, did not believe the media on Friday when they reported that he was dead; they had spoken to him at 2 pm on Thursday, just an hour before the blast.The family got worried when Subramaniam could not be reached over the phone. Their worst fears were confirmed when police and revenue officials shared the chief minister’s condolence message and announcement of ₹20 lakh solatium to the family. “He said he would be happy to die for the nation. But he died very young. We have been married for just 17 months,” said his wife Krishnaveni.
In Karkudi village in Ariyalur, Sivachandran’s family was inconsolable; he had left home only on February 9. Sivachandran had joined the CRPF in 2010 and since then had been posted in Jammu & Kashmir. He got married to Gandhimathi in 2014 and the couple have a two-year-old son and are expecting their second child. He too had called his wife a few hours before the blast.
“He always told me that he wanted to live and die for the nation. Preparing our son to clear the civil service examination and making him Indian Police Service (IPS) officer was one of his dreams,” said Sivachandran’s wife Gandhimathi.
Sivachandran’s father Chinnaiyan, a farm worker, was heartbroken. Last year, he had lost his younger son, Selvachandran, who was electrocuted at his workplace in Chennai.
“Sivachandran always encouraged the youth in our hamlet to join the forces,” V Arun, Gandhimathi’s brother, told TOI.
Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday condoled the deaths of the two CRPF jawans and sanctioned ₹20 lakh each to their families.
Sivachandran’s family said the compensation would not bring back their loved one. The police have told them that the body would arrive at Karkudi village on Saturday.
The TN CM announced ₹20 lakh solatium to the families of slain jawans — G Subramanian (left) from Tuticorin district and C Sivachandran from Ariyalur district
Villagers say slain jawan was soft-spoken, patriotic
Savalapperi village, home of 28-year-old Subramanian is in mourning. “We still believe he is alive,” his father V Ganapathi had told TOI over the phone. “That (he died) is what they (fellow villagers) are telling me. But if it is true we would have first got the information from the CRPF.” At one point the family got annoyed when journalists swarmed the house. “The auto recorded voice said the phone is switched off,” Krishnaveni told reporters in the afternoon.
Subramanian was the youngest of four children of Ganapathi, a farmer, and Maruthammal. “From a very young age it was his desire to join the police, army or any other uniformed service and serve the country,” Ganapathi said. After schooling and completing ITI training, Subramanian joined the CRPF five years ago. He started his career in the force in Uttar Pradesh and has served in Chennai too.
Subramanian used to visit his family every few months. He had come during Pongal and was home till February 9. During that period, he got his father admitted in a hospital in Tirunelveli for an eye surgery.
Villagers said he was soft spoken and patriotic. He used to motivate the youth of his village to join the armed forces and serve the nation. They recalled that during his last visit, he united two groups of tussling youths and gave an elaborate speech on staying united. “If you don’t stay together, how will the nation be united?” they quoted him telling the youth. After he returned to duty, he was constantly in touch with the family over phone.
Krishnaveni said their last conversation was around 2pm on Thursday, shortly before the suicide attack blew his convoy to pieces. “He said that he was on his way to deployment. I asked him if he had eaten, to which he said they had packed their food and would eat once they reach their destination. He said he would call me after reaching the destination,” she said.
Susheela, his elementary school teacher, said Subramanian was a very active boy. “Even after so many years later, he would always greet me and talk respectfully,” she said. Students of the school paid a silent tribute to the fallen soldier.