Army should give befitting reply to China, says father of fallen solider - West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar condoled Rajesh Orang’s death, who was among the 20 soldiers killed in the face with Chinese troops along Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

Joydeep Thakur and Pramod Giri, HT, Jun 17,2020, Kolkata: The father of one of two soldiers from West Bengal, who were among the 20 personnel killed after a violent face-off with Chinese troops along the undefined Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, said the Indian Army should give a befitting reply to China.

Twenty-six-year Rajesh Orang belonged to the Adivasi village of Belghoria at Md Bazar in south West Bengal’s Birbhbum district. His ailing father, mother and two sisters, the elder of whom recently got married, live in Birbhum.

“I am proud of my son. My only request to the Indian Army is that they should give a befitting reply to China and avenge the killing of Indian soldiers,” Subhash Orang said.

The martyr’s younger sister Shakuntala Orang, with whom he had last spoken two weeks back and his mother Mamata Orang echoed the same: “We want a the country to avenge his death. We want a befitting reply.”

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee condoled the death of both the soldiers and said that the government will support the families with Rs 5 akh each and a government job to one member of the deceased’s family. West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar also condoled Rajesh’s death.

It was around two weeks ago that Rajesh had called up his family members and spoke to his sister for around two minutes. He also spoke to his cousin Abhijit who stays nearby.

“Mother was not at home as she had been to the bank. He asked to be stay well,” said an inconsolable Shakuntala.

Rajesh joined the army in 2015 when he was in his second year of college. He was the sole earning member of his family and had recently built a pucca house, where his family presently stays.

“His family got a call in which the family was informed that Rajesh was admitted in the hospital. A few hours later they again got a call in which they were informed that Rajesh had died. Since then his mother and younger sister have been crying inconsolably. They have stopped eating,” Prasenjit Malakar, a neighbour, said.

The last time he came home was in September 2019. His family member said that he was planning to get married during his next visit.

“He was good at sports and wanted to join the Indian Army since he was a child. He has made all of us proud. It is just that he died too early,” his uncle Nagen Orang said.

Another soldier, Bipul Roy, belonged to Alipurduar district in north Bengal was also killed in the clash in Ladakh. His father, mother and brother live in at Bhatibari village of the district.

The 36-year-old soldier used to live in Delhi with his wife and daughter, Roy’s family members said. He was posted in Ladakh for the past one month.

“He has a five year old daughter. He came home in December 2019 and that when we last met. I am proud of him,” said Rajib, his cousin.

Officials in the know the development said rival soldiers exchanged blows, threw stones at each other and Chinese troops even attacked Indian soldiers with rods and nail-studded clubs during the brawl that went on for over six hours. However, no shots were fired.

These are the first Indian casualties in a border skirmish with the People’s Liberation Army since October 1975 when Chinese troops ambushed an Indian patrol in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tulung La sector and shot four soldiers dead.

(Courtesy, source, Hindustan Times- https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indian-army-should-give-a-befitting-reply-father-of-soldier-killed-in-india-china-border-violence/story-bU93nNjWNi7OX9iYyLDNuK.html)