Pulwama attack: Kin in Uttarakhand mourn 2 slain CRPF jawans

DEHRADUN: Residents of the MDDA Colony in Nehru Puram were plunged into mourning as soon as the names and photos of more than 40 soldiers killed in the Thursday terrorist attack in Kashmir began to be reported. Mohan Lal Raturi, 53-year-old assistant sub Inspector in the 76th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force, who lived in the colony, was one of the dead.The other Uttarakhand CRPF personnel killed in the attack was Virender Singh Rana of the 45th battalion, a native of Udham Singh Nagar district. There were also talks that another jawan from Uttarakhand, Gopal Singh Kiroola, was on the bus. By the evening, however, authorities made it clear that Kiroola had not boarded the bus.
Meanwhile, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of the two dead personnel as well as government jobs to one of the relatives each.
Raturi’s son-in-law Sarvesh Kumar Nautiyal told TOI that they were informed of his father-in-law’s death on Thursday afternoon by CRPF officials. “We had heard the news on TV but when we got the call from the officials we were told that he wasn’t even inside the vehicle when the blast happened. He was in fact clearing the way for the convoy to pass,” Raturi said.
A resident of Chinyalisaur in Uttarkashi district, Raturi had moved to Dehradun over a decade back. Neighbours said they heard Raturi’s widow Sareeta and children wailing. “We were aware of the news but did not want to disturb the family immediately,” said a neighbour.
Raturi was father to five children. While the eldest daughter is married to Nautiyal, none of the other children are of working age. Raturi’s 15-year-old son Ram said that the family wants nothing from the government but a solution to this never-ending problem with Pakistan. “My father died in peace-time and not war. What is peace if people are still dying?” he said.
CRPF deputy inspector general Dinesh Uniyal, who also visited Raturi's family here said that the body will be brought to the state capital by Friday evening.
At Chinyalisaur, Raturi's relatives and other villagers paid tributes to him and expressed anger over the attack. Some of his family members have left for his home in Dehradun.
Childhood friend of Raturi and local villager Pyar Singh told TOI, “His father Manglanand and mother Jashoda Devi died a few years ago. He was a cheerful and brilliant student. He joined CRPF after completing his education from Jogat Inter College.”
Meanwhile, residents of village Mohammadpur Bhudiya in Khatima of Udham Singh Nagar district on Friday condoled the death of Virender Singh Rana. The news of the 35-year-old’s death reached his family on Thursday night. The inconsolable family members are demanding direct action and revenge on Pakistan.
Rana, son of a retired BSF subedar, was one of the four children of Deewan Singh, a retired subedar of Border Security Force. Rana was father of two, a five-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy. “He had left for Jammu and Kashmir on Monday after spending twenty days of leave with the family,” said his elder brother, Jayram Singh Rana.
Deewan Singh, father of the slain jawan said, “Our soldiers are killed on a regular basis by Pakistan-sponsored terror groups, but nothing has been done. The Indian government should respond with full force.”
“The government should stop hollow talk and take direct action against Pakistan. We want revenge at any cost,” said Renu Rana, widow of the jawan.