Final rites of soldier in Bhind’s native village:Widow urged mourners to stop crying; 6-year-old son performed funeral with courage

The last rites of Havaldar Shailendra Singh Bhadoria, who lost his life during a search operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, were performed with full state honours on Saturday morning at his native village, Chitavali in Ater. His six-year-old son, Bhavesh, lit the funeral pyre. Thousands gather for final farewell When the martyr’s body reached the village, thousands of people gathered to pay their last respects. Army personnel gave a guard of honour and saluted the fallen soldier. Shailendra Singh was among 10 soldiers who lost their lives after an Army vehicle fell into a deep gorge in Doda. Wife shows great courage at funeral The soldier’s wife, Shivani, showed remarkable courage during the final farewell. Seeing people crying near her husband’s body, she asked them to stop weeping and stay strong. She sat beside her husband’s body, kissed his cheeks and performed traditional gestures of warding off evil, touching everyone present emotionally. “He said he was afraid” — wife recalls last call Shivani said her last conversation with Shailendra was on the night of January 21. He told her about a troubling dream and said he was feeling scared, as if something bad might happen. Shivani tried to comfort him and asked him not to worry. Soon after, the family received the news of his martyrdom. Family of soldiers, history of sacrifice Shailendra’s father, Hanumat Singh, said all three of his sons are in the Army. He shared that his own father was also a soldier who was martyred in 1972. “I am proud of my son. He gave his life while serving the nation,” he said. Brothers say pride along with grief The soldier’s elder brother, Dev Singh, who has retired from the Army, said that while the loss is painful for the family, there is pride in knowing that his brother sacrificed his life for the country. Emotional scene at cremation ground During the funeral procession, people showered flowers and raised slogans praising the soldier. At the cremation ground, the young son broke down after seeing his father’s body and hugged him tightly before performing the last rites. Many officials, including Army officers and local administrators, were present during the ceremony.