HT Correspondents

letterschd@hindustantimes.com

BATALA/SANGRUR/HOSHIARPUR/SHIMLA : Bodies of three soldiers from Punjab and one from Himachal Pradesh, who were killed in an avalanche at Siachen glacier on Monday, were cremated at their native places with full state and military honours on Wednesday.Lance Naik Maninder Singh was cremated at Fatehgarh Churian town in Batala. The pyre was lit by his five-year old son Ekamjot Singh and brother Gurvinder Singh. With tears in her eyes, Maninder’s wife Akwinder Kaur said she wanted his son to serve the country like his father.

The body of sepoy Veerpal Singh, 21, was consigned to flames at Gowara village of Sangrur district. A pall of gloom descended on the village as his body reached the village on Wednesday. Veerpal Singh, who joined the army two years ago, is survived by his parents, a brother and three sisters.

Sepoy Dimple Kumar, 22, was cremated with at his native village Saidon Naushehra in Mukerian subdivision of Hoshiarpur district. Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s adviser Sangat Singh Gilzian was among those who attended the last rites. His father Jagga Singh, who serves in Central Reserve Police Force, said Dimple had joined the army about a year-and-a-half ago.

The last rites of sepoy Manish Thakur, 22, were performed at his native village Dochi in Kunihar area of Solan district. His body was brought to Chandigarh on a helicopter and was taken to his village via road.