Ashok Raina

Kangra, September 30

He is in the twilight of his life. Yet, 85-year-old Subedar Rumel Singh, proud father of a martyr’s son, has still has not given up hope of getting the local government school in his village named in the memory of his valiant son in his lifetime.

Government apathy has resulted in the octogenarian running from pillar to post for the past 17 years to see the Government High School, Bhanala, named in the memory of his son. Being a retired “fauji” himself, Rumel Singh says his only last wish in life is to see the memory of his son, Pawan Kumar, who died fighting the militants in Anantnag on August 29, 2001, being kept alive by naming the school after him.

It was 17 years ago that 25-year-old Pawan Kumar in Rashtriya Rifles sacrificed his life at the altar of the nation while fighting terrorists in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. Narrating his woes, Rumail said out of the Rs 3 lakh given by the government on the demise of his son, he donated Rs 2 lakh for Vivekanand Hospital, Palampur and Rs 1 lakh for construction of three rooms of the Government High School, Bhanala.

“The state government issued a notification on March 25, 2014 regarding naming of high school, Bhanala, in the name of martyr Pawan Kumar Singh with certain conditions which included a no objection certificate (NOC) from the tehsildar concerned,” he said.

He further said that Tehsildar Shahpur in a letter under No 296 dated 24-4-2014 addressed to Headmaster of the school said that the land on which the said school was constructed is owned by Forest Department and has not been transferred to the Education Department. “It has been four years but the NoC has still not been given despite my making more than hundred rounds of the Forest and Education offices,” he laments.

“It was a sad but proud moment for me to see my son’s body wrapped in the tricolor but today my patience seems to be running out. Is the sacrifice worth it when government officials seem so unconcerned towards supreme sacrifice made by valiant sons,” he quips, while losing hope.

“It is probably easier to fight the enemy across the border than red tape back home,” is how villagers from the village express their helplessness and frustration.