Kolkata: Among the 40 CRPF jawans killed during the dastardly attack on a military convoy, in Kashmir’s Pulwama on Thursday, two martyrs are from West Bengal. The mortal remains of one of the martyrs – Sudip Biswas remains untraceable, while that of Bablu Santra’s has been retrieved and shall be reaching Kolkata by tomorrow for the last rites.
Sudip, a constable with the 95 Battalion of the CRPF is survived by his parents and his sister. A native of Nadia district’s Hanspukur area, which falls under the jurisdiction of Tehatta Police Station, Sudip had always aspired to be a soldier.
“He was very determined to make a career in the armed force. After he cleared his high school, he kept applying for vacancies in the armed forces. I vividly remember that Sudip cleared for the CRPF opening in his very last attempt,” recalled his brother-in-law Samatta Biswas.
Sudip’s sixty-year-old father who was recuperating from a bout of ailment is at a loss of words. “He had called on Thursday morning to talk to his father and then around at 3 pm on the same day, he talked to his sister and discussed what he had for lunch. His father’s health has deteriorated since we got the news from the CRPF officials that Sudip has been martyred,” he added
His childhood friend, Dhananjay Biswas, said, “He was the only son of his parents. In fact, he was scheduled to visit us soon, as his parents were thinking of getting him married. He had visited us in December and resumed work y January 18. It’s difficult to believe that he is no more.”
As he spoke over the phone, the wails of his family members could be heard. Speaking about their condition, he said, “We hail from a very poor background, Sudip was our hope. It’s difficult for us to believe that he is gone. In fact, when we began getting calls from CRPF officials, seeking minute details and asking for his alternate number, had made us think that something must have gone wrong. It was only in the morning that we got confirmed news about his death. But since body remains untraceable, we are praying that the officials are able to locate his mortal remains and have it sent back to his home so that we can perform his last rites.”
Meanwhile 172 kilometres away from Sudip’s house, in Uluberia’s Bablu Santra’s residence, the atmosphere is as grim as that of his. Bablu, who used to sell fishes before becoming an army jawan, had cleared the CRPF exam not once but twice. In 1999, He was a good volleyball player too, had cracked the entrance exam but had to give it a miss as he was underage. In 2000 he appeared for the exam and cracked it once again to become a CRPF hawaldar.
Bablu is survived by his wife, daughter and sisters. He had just resumed work in Kashmir, after having returned from training in Himachal Pradesh. Having nearing almost two decades with CRPF, he was to retire next year, following which he had planned to return back to his roots.
When eNewsroom, the family initially declined to talk, stating that they were in no condition to talk about Bablu’s martyrdom. “We are in no condition to share our immediate feelings with anyone. We are as shocked as all,” said the person who received the call.
