Cross border firing in J&K: Pall of gloom descends in Deoria

BSF jawan from Deoria Satyanarayan Yadav was one of the two personnel, who were killed in cross border firing by Pakistani rangers in Akhnoor, Jammu and Kashmir.

BSF jawan from Deoria Satyanarayan Yadav was one of the two personnel, who were killed in cross border firing by Pakistani rangers in Akhnoor, Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday night.

Satyanarayan Yadav.

“Pakistan side resorted to unprovoked firing by targeting forward duty points at International Border (IB) in Pragwal around 0115 hours, causing critical injuries to assistant sub-inspector S N Yadav (48) and constable VK Pandey,” said a senior BSF officer. He said both the injured were evacuated to medical facilities but succumbed to injuries.

Yadav is survived by his three sons, wife and father Ayodhya Yadav, who is a farmer. Yadav was posted with 33 BSF batallion in Akhnoor

Meanwhile, a pall of gloom descended in the village when Yadav’s wife Susheela Devi received a call from the BSF camp at 5 am on Monday informing about her husband’s martyrdom.

As soon as the news spread, locals began gathering at his house to condole the bereaved family members. SDM Rakesh Kumar, who visited the family along with other officials, expressed condolence and said the body was likely to reach the village by Monday evening. Villagers expressed displeasure that no public representative came to meet the family.

Meanwhile, martyr’s father Ayodhya Yadav said had he more sons he would have sacrificed all of them for ‘Bharat Mata.’ “Sons of Bharat Mata will continue to be killed until Pakistan is given a befitting reply. The time has come to teach a lesson to the enemy country in its own language,” said an emotional Ayodhya as he burst into tears.

Satyanarayan who had joined the army 20 years back soon after passing class 10, was the only son among five siblings.

Locals said that owing to the deteriorating health of his father, Satyanarayan wanted to come back home after taking early retirement. In March this year he had visited the village and made a failed bid to settle his family’s land dispute.

Incidentally, when news of his martyrdom reached the family none of his three sons were present in the village.

(With PTI inputs)