Pulwama attack : Families, villagers proud of the martyrs

Manoj Kumar Behera, who was among the 40 CRPF personnel martyred in Pulwama Thursday, had called up his home at Ratnpur village in Odisha's Cuttack district just hours before the dastardly terrorist attack took his life.

Sitting at their home at Ratanpur village in Cuttack district, Behera's wife Itilata said he had told her that he would be leaving for Srinagar later in the day.

He had also promised to call her after reaching Srinagar.

The call of course never came as the convoy in which he was travelling suffered the worst terrorist attack in the militancy plagued J&K and 40 CRPF personnel met gruesome death.

 

The couple had been married two years ago and have a year-old daughter.

Behera, who had joined CRPF in 2006, had also called up his mother Sabitri, who recalls that he had come home December 24 and left only on February 6 and the family had celebrated the birthday on January 16.

His friends recall the cricket matches he played with them during his recent visit and his promise to return home soon.

"The entire village is proud of the supreme sacrifice made by Manoj," they told newsmen.

Prashanna Kumar Sahu, the other CRPF personnel from Odisha who was martyred in the Jaish attack, too has earned the respect of his family and the residents of Naugan, his village in Jagatshinghpur district.

"I feel immensely proud that my father has laid down his life for the country," said his teenage daughter Ruchi.

Residents of the village echo her saying the entire area is extremely proud of Sahu's ultimate sacrifice for his motherland though his death was a big loss for them.

Sahu was posted in 61 Battalion of the CRPF and had visited his home at Naugan in Jagatsinghpur district in November last year, his wife said.

His father Sashi Sahu said they had spoken over phone on Monday and Sahu had told him that he would come home sometime around April this year.