Bhagalpur: In a solemn and emotionally charged ceremony, the last rites of Havildar Santosh Yadav, who was martyred in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Naushera sector, were performed on Thursday in his native village in Bhagalpur district, Bihar. His 4-year-old son Lakshya lit the funeral pyre as hundreds gathered to pay their final respects.
Before the cremation, Yadav’s three daughters saluted their father in a moving gesture of pride and grief. Army officials handed over the soldier’s uniform wrapped in the national flag to his eldest daughter, Diksha, who hugged it tightly and broke into tears.
The funeral took place one kilometre from the family’s village, Ismailpur, with fellow soldiers giving the fallen havildar a guard of honour. Officials from the Indian Army and state administration offered tributes alongside local residents who lined the streets with the tricolour, chanting “Bharat Mata ki Jai” as the body arrived.
As the mortal remains reached the village in an army vehicle draped with flowers, the martyr’s young son clung to his father’s body, crying and pleading: “Let me talk to Papa, why is he not getting up?” The scene left many onlookers in tears.
Yadav’s wife, devastated, mourned not just the loss but the unfulfilled dreams her husband held. “He was supposed to become a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) on October 1,” she said, performing a final circumambulation of the body with folded hands.
Tributes continued from Bhagalpur to Navgachiya as people held up flags and followed the procession. At Patna airport on Wednesday night, Union Minister Giriraj Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha paid homage to the martyr.
Yadav’s brother, Abhinav Kumar, said his sibling was nearing retirement, with only four years of service left. “Now I want to send my elder son to the army. That was his wish,” he added.
The sacrifice of Havildar Santosh Yadav echoes the words often spoken in tribute to soldiers: “They gave their today for our tomorrow”.
