A pall of gloom engulfed a family in Bihar who got the newsthat their son, Sunil Kumar, had perished in a violent clash with the Chinesesoldiers at Galwan Valley in Ladakh.
People living in Dighra village in Saran district, where Sunil Jumar hails from, mourned the loss and honoured his sacrifice for the nation.?
Even local politicians including MLA Chandrika Rai had assembled at Sunil¡¯s house to give strength to the family and condole his passing.
The family even went to the extent of making arrangements to transfer the slain soldier¡¯s body to his hometown.??
But the grief was short-lived,as they got a phone call from Havildar Sunil Kumar himself!
Also Read: Indian Army Releases Names Of All 20 Soldiers Martyred At Galwan Border Clash With China
It turned out that the wrong news of Sunil¡¯s martyrdom wasthe result of a mix-up with another soldier from the unit who had died in theaction on Monday night.
The phone call from Ladakh, with Sunil¡¯s voice confirming hiswell-being was a massive relief for his family who spent hours mourning.
According to Hindustan Times, Sunil¡¯s army unit had informedhis brother Anil about the mix-up and confirmed Sunil¡¯s well-being to him onWednesday afternoon itself, ?but thefamily did not receive the message, until the phone buzzed with Sunil¡¯s call.
Sunil¡¯s wife Menaka said she was relieved to hear her husband on the phone, ¡°I burst out with joy as I had no doubt that it wasRoshini¡¯s father¡¯s voice speaking on the other side,¡± she was quoted as sayingby Hindi daily Hindustan.
¡°I have spoken to my husband over phone. God has given me a new lease of life,¡± The Deccan Herald quoted Menaka as saying,
The conference call was specially arranged by his army unit.
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At least 20 Indian soldiers, including a commanding officer posted in Galwan Valley along with subedars, havildars and sepoys, were martyred following a skirmish with Chinese troops on June 15. The skirmish, which took place late Monday, was the first time in 45 years that a soldier died along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which is undefined in Ladakh.