Sepoy Ganesh Hansda, 22, killed in Ladakh face-off was on his 1st posting
Ganesh Hansda, says his brother, was to be transferred but it was delayed due to the coronavirus crisis.
A 22-year-old was one among the 20 soldiers killed in the line of duty in Galwan Valley in the border clash between troops of the Indian and Chinese army in eastern Ladakh on Monday evening.
A pall of gloom descended on the nondescript house of Hansda family in Kosaphaliya village under Chingra panchayat in Jharkhand on Wednesday morning as the news of sepoy Ganesh Hansda’s death trickled in.
The young sepoy was on his first posting at Leh. Despite the setback, the family, given a chance again, says they will fight for the country.
“I am ready to join the army and fight for my country if given a chance. My brother sacrificed his life to protect the nation and we are all proud of him. He had joined Bihar Regiment in September 2018 and was deployed at Leh in his first posting after completing 9-month training at Danapur on July 27 last year,” said Dinesh Hansda, the sepoy’s brother.
Ganesh, says his brother, was to be transferred but it was delayed due to the coronavirus crisis.
“He [Ganesh] was to be transferred to Hyderabad but could not due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic,” Dinesh Hansda, Ganesh’s elder brother said this morning, adding that the sepoy had last visited them in February.
The entire Kosapthaliya village near Basda chowk under Baheragora police station (PS), about 93 km from Jamshedpur, was in a state of shock as Dinesh said they were informed by a Colonel of Indian Army about the tragedy at around 10.30 pm Tuesday night.
“Ganesh was the sole earning member from the family who had brought light of hope after long years of penury. Now that light has gone off. We don’t know how this darkness will be cleared. We hope and request the government to do something, give a job to me in the army or any other job so that we can survive, live a respectful life and carry forward his dreams. He was very fond of playing football and promoting Santhali language,” said Dinesh, who works as a daily wage labourer after completing ITI course from Jamshedpur.
Ganesh had completed his three-year NCC training from LBSM College, Jamshedpur. His father Subda Hansda is also a daily-wage labourer while his mother Kapra Hansda is a housewife.
Chief minister Hemant Soren said the sacrifices by the sons of Jharkhand in protecting the integrity and sovereignty of the country would be remembered for years to come.
“I am absolutely shocked by this tragic news of Kundankant Ojha and Ganesh Hansda martyred in India-China violent standoff,” said Soren.