In New Tehri/Pauri (U'khand), Rifleman Adarsh Negi spoke to his father over the phone on Sunday. The next day, Dalbir Singh Negi received another call, informing him about the death of his son in the terror attack in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir.
The phone call on Monday night left the family in Thati Dagar village in Uttarakhand's Tehri district in a state of shock.
He was among five soldiers from Uttarakhand who were killed in a terror attack on an army convoy in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday. It was the fifth terror attack in the Jammu region in a month.
In Pauri, rifleman Anuj Negi's mother and wife fell unconscious upon receiving the news of his death. The scene was similar at the house of Havildar Kamal Singh, who left behind his mother, his wife and their two daughters, aged eight and four.
Singh, 32, who had just completed 10 years of service, had returned to his house in Papadi Naudanu village two and a half months ago to take admission of his youngest daughter in school, a local said.
His father Kesar Singh died a few years ago.
Adarsh Negi (25), son of a farmer, was the youngest of the three brothers. He had left his university studies halfway to fulfill his dream of serving the country by being in the army.
Dalbir Singh Negi said his son studied up to class 12 at Government Inter College in Piplidhar and then joined Garhwal University to pursue a bachelor's degree. He left his studies to join the Garhwal Rifles, he said.
"I last spoke to him on July 7 over phone. He had returned home in February and returned on March 26 to join the service," Dalbir Singh Negi said, fighting back tears.
In Pauri's Dobariya village, friends and relatives flocked to Anuj Negi's house to console his mother and his wife, but in vain.
His parents' only son, Anuj Negi (26), got married in December last year. He rejoined the service four months after getting married, said Subhash Chandra Jakhmola, the gram pradhan of nearby Jamri village.
After doing his intermission, Anuj Negi joined the Garhwal Rifles about five years ago and his mother distributed sweets in the village, Jakhmola said.
Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker and Kotdwar MLA Ritu Khanduri expressed grief over the death of the soldiers and said the country stands with their families.
Khanduri said that she is the daughter of a military man and that she can bear the pain of grieving families. "The armed forces will provide an appropriate response to the terrorist attack," he said.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, cabinet ministers Premchand Aggarwal and Ganesh Joshi placed wreaths on the coffins of the five martyrs while their mortal remains were taken to the Jolly Grant airport.
"Five brave soldiers of Uttarakhand achieved martyrdom during the cowardly terror attack in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir. This is a moment of great pain for all of us," Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a statement.
"Our brave men made the supreme sacrifice for their motherland in accordance with the rich military tradition of Uttarakhand," he said, adding that their "sacrifice will not be in vain."
The terrorists, enemies of humanity and guilty of this cowardly attack, will not be forgiven at any cost, he said, adding that the people who protected them will also have to face the consequences.
He said the entire state stands with their families in this time of grief.
The phone call on Monday night left the family in Thati Dagar village in Uttarakhand's Tehri district in a state of shock.
He was among five soldiers from Uttarakhand who were killed in a terror attack on an army convoy in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday. It was the fifth terror attack in the Jammu region in a month.
In Pauri, rifleman Anuj Negi's mother and wife fell unconscious upon receiving the news of his death. The scene was similar at the house of Havildar Kamal Singh, who left behind his mother, his wife and their two daughters, aged eight and four.
Singh, 32, who had just completed 10 years of service, had returned to his house in Papadi Naudanu village two and a half months ago to take admission of his youngest daughter in school, a local said.
His father Kesar Singh died a few years ago.
Adarsh Negi (25), son of a farmer, was the youngest of the three brothers. He had left his university studies halfway to fulfill his dream of serving the country by being in the army.
Dalbir Singh Negi said his son studied up to class 12 at Government Inter College in Piplidhar and then joined Garhwal University to pursue a bachelor's degree. He left his studies to join the Garhwal Rifles, he said.
"I last spoke to him on July 7 over phone. He had returned home in February and returned on March 26 to join the service," Dalbir Singh Negi said, fighting back tears.
In Pauri's Dobariya village, friends and relatives flocked to Anuj Negi's house to console his mother and his wife, but in vain.
His parents' only son, Anuj Negi (26), got married in December last year. He rejoined the service four months after getting married, said Subhash Chandra Jakhmola, the gram pradhan of nearby Jamri village.
After doing his intermission, Anuj Negi joined the Garhwal Rifles about five years ago and his mother distributed sweets in the village, Jakhmola said.
Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker and Kotdwar MLA Ritu Khanduri expressed grief over the death of the soldiers and said the country stands with their families.
Khanduri said that she is the daughter of a military man and that she can bear the pain of grieving families. "The armed forces will provide an appropriate response to the terrorist attack," he said.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, cabinet ministers Premchand Aggarwal and Ganesh Joshi placed wreaths on the coffins of the five martyrs while their mortal remains were taken to the Jolly Grant airport.
"Five brave soldiers of Uttarakhand achieved martyrdom during the cowardly terror attack in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir. This is a moment of great pain for all of us," Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a statement.
"Our brave men made the supreme sacrifice for their motherland in accordance with the rich military tradition of Uttarakhand," he said, adding that their "sacrifice will not be in vain."
The terrorists, enemies of humanity and guilty of this cowardly attack, will not be forgiven at any cost, he said, adding that the people who protected them will also have to face the consequences.
He said the entire state stands with their families in this time of grief.
