Hills bid final farewell to soldiers: Bodies of 11 Army men who died in the Manipur landslide reached their homes on Saturday

SNS, DARJEELING, 3 JULY 2022: A pall of gloom descended on different area of the hills of Darjeeling and Kurseong here today as the areas held funerals, with full military honour, for army personnel who lost their lives in the landslide in Manipur. 

The mortal remains of 11 army personnel from Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts had been brought at Bengdubi in Siliguri yesterday, from where they were taken to their respective homes.

They were all victims of a landslide that occurred recently near tupul Railway station in Noney district of Manipur, where the 107 Territorial Army had been deployed to guard the under-construction railway line from Jiribam to Imphal.

As the search operation is on for other army personnel missing in the incident, three more bodies arrived here today at Bagdogra and were taken to their respective residences.

Among those whose last rites were conducted today were Sitaram Rai of Rangbull, Lhadup Tamang of Magarjung in Mirik, Marcus Gurung of Singamari in Darjeeling, and Bhupen Rai of Happy Valley in Darjeeling.

The funeral ceremony for Bidhan Chettri from Gauri Shankar Tea garden and Mlilan Tamang from Rohini in Kurseong, along with Diwankar Thapa from Chungthung Tea Garden, and Benjamin Rai from Teesta valley, was also held today. The last rites of Bishal Chettri in Mirik were performed yesterday itself.

The soldiers were given a hero's farewell in their final journey with not only mourners accompanying them on their last journey, but full army honour bestowed on

them.

Homage was also paid to them from people from different fields of life, including leaders from different political parties and officials and the police. Also seen were people lining up on the roads, offering Khadas (traditional white scarf) as a final farewell.

As local people and neighhours talked about the soldiers, it is learnt that Bidhan Rai had celebrated his 39th birthday on Wednesday and died the next day, with him being wished by everyone back home. On the other hand, Bhupen Rai, who also lost his life in the Manipur landslide, had a dream, a house of his own, and that he had been planning to build one soon.

Meanwhile, people in Kalimpong paid rich tributes to the soldiers amid a programme organised by the Gorkha Gaurav Sansthan.