Umesh Gopinath, a resident from Mandya, travelled 61,000 km to meet the families of 40 CRPF martyrs, who were killed in the Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir last year and collected the soil from their respective homes.
Gopinath collected the soil from the home of each martyr in an urn and was then presented to the CRPF, which, were then placed at the Martyr's Column during the wreath-laying ceremony.
Later, on Friday Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to the 40 CRPF soldiers calling the jawans as 'exceptional individuals' who devoted their lives to the country.
"Tributes to the brave martyrs who lost their lives in the gruesome Pulwama attack last year. They were exceptional individuals who devoted their lives to serving and protecting our nation. India will never forget their martyrdom," tweeted Prime Minister Modi.
It was around 3 pm this time last year when a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist rammed a vehicle carrying explosives into a CRPF convoy at the Srinagar-Jammu highway. Nationwide protests erupted and civil society and people from the political party lines condemned the act.
Twelve days later, in retaliation, the Indian Air Force carried out multiple airstrikes on the terror camps of Jaish-e-Mohammad in Balakot, Pakistan.
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