Family members of Rajesh Orang, who was among the 20 soldiers killed in a clash with Chinese troops in Ladakh, during the funeral at Belgoria village in Birbhum district. PTI
The bodies of two soldiers from West Bengal killed in the Ladakh standoff with China earlier this week were laid to rest with full military honours in their villages.
Hundreds of people gathered at Rajesh Orang’s home in Belgoria village in Birbhum district to pay their last respects to the soldier after the Army cortège arrived from the Panagarh military hospital. The body had been kept there for the night following its arrival from Leh via Chandigarh on a military aircraft on Thursday evening.
Army personnel carried the coffin to Orang’s home with the body draped in the Tricolour.
Villagers called for a total boycott of Chinese products, expressing their anger at the People’s Liberation Army for their brutal attack on the Indian soldiers. Orang is survived by his parents and two sisters.
The Mamata Banerjee government has announced Rs 5-lakh compensation, and a government job for one member of the family.
Leaders cutting across the political divide paid their final respects to the fallen soldier.
Trinamool Congress Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal said the party would bear the educational expenses of the soldier’s sisters. “Our party will take care of their education expenses. We are standing by their family. The state government has already announced compensation and a government job for them. We want the Centre to give a befitting reply to China for their aggression on our soldiers,” said Mondal.
BJP MPs Khagen Murmu, Locket Chatterjee and Soumitra Khan also visited the family members. “We strongly condemn the attack. We will appeal to the people to ban all Chinese products,” said Murmu.
After paying his respects, Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Chowdhury said, “No one should trust China. The sacrifice of our soldiers will not go in vain.”
CPI(M) MLA Sujan Chakraborty and Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Abdul Mannan, too paid tributes.
Meanwhile, the body of Bipul Roy, the other fallen soldier, was taken to his home in Bindipara village in Alipurduar district in the evening. It had been kept in Hasimara military hospital on Thursday night after being flown in from Leh. Hundreds of people attended the funeral to pay their last respects to the jawan.