Guwahati/Agartala, Nov 16, 2020, IANS
The Indian Army on Monday offered full military honours during the last rites of Havildar Hardhan Chandra Roy, who was martyred in the unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.
In a solemn ceremony, the army paid homage to the gallant soldier on behalf of the nation as several political and administrative dignitaries, senior defence officials, family members, friends and thousands of locals bid tearful adieu to the braveheart of Assam.
The young martyr's last rites were performed on the banks of the Gauranga river in his village Futukibari-Medhipara in Dhubri district in western Assam.
Roy's body arrived in Guwahati on Sunday and was taken to the Army Base Hospital where Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and senior army officials paid tributes before the body was taken to his home in Dhubri district.
Wreaths were placed on his Tricolour-draped body by Assam's Food and Civil Supplies Minister Phani Bhushan Choudhury, Social Welfare Minister Pramila Rani Brahama, BJP state President Ranjit Kumar Das and army and district officials.
Havildar Ray had joined the army in 2001. He left behind his parents, wife and a two-year-old son. Assam Chief Minister had on Sunday announced a financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh for Roy's family.
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Roy and three other soldiers made the supreme sacrifice for the country when Pakistan used mortars and other weapons during the unprovoked ceasefire violation in the two-hour long shelling on Friday.
Around seven Pakistan Army soldiers too were killed and a dozen were injured after Indian Army retaliated, as per army sources. The Indian Army also destroyed various enemy positions, terror launch pads and fuel dumps.
Ray is the second force personnel from the northeast region to be martyred in terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir within a week.
On November 8, BSF constable Sudip Kumar Sarkar from Tripura was killed in a terrorist attack in Machil sector in north Kashmir's Kupwara district.