Published 15:38 IST, June 18th 2020
Nation pays last respects to Indian braveheart Colonel Santosh Babu at funeral procession
Thousands chanted patriotic slogans while seeing off Colonel Santosh Babu one last time as the funeral procession passed with his body draped in tricolour.
Mortal remains of Colonel Santosh Babu who was one of the Bravehearts martyred in the violent faceoff with Chinese Army in the Galwan Valley on June 15, were taken for last rites in Telangana's Suryapet on Thursday. Thousands of citizens from the area chanted patriotic slogans while seeing off the brave Indian soldier one last time as the funeral procession.
Colonel Santosh Babu was the commanding officer of the 16 Bihar regiment. He was one of the 20 soldiers who were killed in action in the violent clash on the Galwan valley.
Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, State Ministers KT Rama Rao, Malla Reddy, Jagdish Reddy, Cyberabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar, Hyderabad City Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar and other army officials paid their tributes at the Air Force station while Telangana Minister Jagadish Reddy, State Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy and former union minister Pallam Raju were among those present at the cremation site. His funeral took place at family's own land and his father performed the last rites ritual of the slain colonel. The Army accorded a gun salute to the slain Colonel who is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son.
While 20 Indian Bravehearts were killed in action in the violent faceoffs, reports state that there were above 40 casualties have been inflicted on the Chinese side. As per US intelligence reports, 35 Chinese soldiers have been killed. However, China has refrained to disclose the number under a farcical reason that it is not releasing the number of casualties because it does not want people in the two countries to get further impacted and disclosure of numbers would lead to a comparison of casualties that could incite nationalistic sentiments on both sides, elevating the tension.
However, an anti-China sentiment has gathered momentum in the light of the martyrdom of our brave soldiers. People have taken to streets to protests demanding the boycott of Chinese goods. PM Modi has affirmed the soldiers achieved martyrdom while fighting for the nation and that their sacrifice of our soldiers will not go in vain.
Updated 15:38 IST, June 18th 2020