Family of Lance Naik Ranjit Singh

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Burn/Gurasinghu, July 13

The anger against the Centre’s policies towards Pakistan and the wish to avenge the death of their father now run deep within the family of Lance Naik Ranjit Singh, who was killed in sniper firing in Keran sector of Kupwara district on the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday.The family is in a state of shock. All they want is justice from the government.As the day dawned, relatives and neighbours started gathering at the house of Hari Singh to express condolences for his son Ranjit’s death.Ranjit of Burn village and Satish Bhagat, another soldier from Gurasinghu village on the outskirts of Jammu, were killed in the ceasefire violation.Thirteen-year-old Kajal, Ranjit’s daugther, said, “My father was the best in the world. He used to play with me and my brother whenever he was home on leave. We used to have regular conversations with him on phone earlier but since he was posted near the border in Kupwara sector, he was not able to talk to us due to poor connectivity.”“My father wanted me to become an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and I am going to fulfil his dream. Thereafter, I will avenge his death from those who are responsible for it,” she said.Ranjit is survived by wife Neha Devi, daughter Kajal, son Kartik (10), father Hari Singh and mother Beena Devi. He was the only breadwinner of the family.Kartik too wants to join the Indian Army so that he can “take revenge from Pakistan”.His wife Neha said, “Today, we have lost our loved one. Earlier, it was somebody else and tomorrow, it will be another person who loses his loved one. For how long will this happen?” she asked, adding, “India must go for an all-out attack against Pakistan to end this menace once and for all.”At Rifleman Satish Bhagat’s house in Gurasnighu village, things were no different. Bhagat’s mother and two elder sisters are yet to come to terms with the fact that they have lost him at the young age of 21.“He was too young to be killed and was the only hope of our family as his elder brother had suffered a lifelong injury in his leg in an accident sometime back,” said Kamlesh Kumari, Satish Bhagat’s mother. Bhagat’s sisters, Manju Kumari and Neelu Kumari, who are married, said, “Our brother was too young to be posted in a danger zone on the LoC. He had just completed his training,” they said.However, his father and brother are proud of his sacrifice for the nation. “I am proud of his sacrifice but I don’t want anyone else’s child to die. Peace must prevail so that all can live as brothers and nobody is killed,” said Jeet Lal, Bhagat’s father.