Their families were waiting for them to visit during the next holiday. They had some responsibilities to be fulfilled. But look how they came home - wrapped in a tricolour. The families were devastated and their dreams shattered. At once, the family felt the loss of a son, brother, husband and father.
On February 14, 44 CRPF personnel were martyred in Pulwama¡¯s Awantipora and among them were?Martyrs Sanjay Kumar Sinha and Ratan Kumar Thakur.
Sergeant Sanjay Kumar Sinha¡¯s family and friends reacted with disbelief when a call was made to them. "We want strong retaliation from the government. There should be another surgical strike. How long will we go on losing our people to terrorist attacks from across the border?" his friend asked.
His wife Babita, has been crying, ever since she heard the news. His father, Mahendra Prasad, concerned about his family¡¯s future said that ¡°My son has been martyred, but the government should consider what our family is going through. Sanjay has two grown-up but unmarried daughters. Before leaving, he had said that he would finalise the marriage of the elder one the next time he's here. I have no idea what we are going to do now."
Mahendra Prasad, who was also a CRPF jawan, wants the government to provide them with the means to survive.
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The condition of Martyr Ratan Kumar Thakur¡¯s family is none too different from Sinha's. He left behind his 4-year-old son and a wife who is expecting their second child. "Ratan had told us that he would call by evening, soon after joining work in Srinagar. But we received a call from his superior instead, and it was to inform us about this terrible news," said Niranjan Thakur, the CRPF constable's father.
Constable Thakur¡¯s salary made his family aspire for better living standards and recently his family shifted to a rented accommodation at Bhagalpur. "We had hoped to ensure a bright future for his younger brother, who is doing a BA course, but now I am ready to let him join the force too. The enemy must be taught a lesson," his father said.
Also Read:?Pulwama Attack: Who Will Look After Martyr Rohitash Lamba's 2-Month-Old Daughter Now?
"I shudder to think of Rajnandini (constable Thakur's widow). She is still young and has a long life before her. How will she bring up her children now?" he asked.