Telangana people bid tearful adieu to martyred Col Santosh Babu

Heart wrenching scenes were witnessed as the four-year old son of the Colonel gave a last salute to his father along with his mother and sister, other relatives and friends as the body of the officer drapped in national tri-colour was brought for final rites.

The funeral took place at the family-owned land with the Colonel's father performing the rituals while the Army personnel accorded a gun salute. A large number of people paid their last respects to the departed soldier, who had led the Indian troops in the high altitude border clash in Galwan Valley on Monday night that left 19 of his team members also dead.

Telangana Minister Jagadish Reddy, state Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy and former union minister Pallam Raju were among others present at the cremation site. Jagadish Reddy said the state government would extend all supprt to the bereaved family and an important area in this town will be named after the brave soldier.

Earlier, a large number of people wearing masks and chanting "Santosh Babu amar rahe" and "Vande Mataram" participated in the funeral procession while scores, standing on balconies of their houses, showered flowers on the army vehicle carrying the soldier's body as it wound through the town. Most of the shops and establishments in the town remained closed as a mark of respect to the martyred officer.

Santosh, who commanded the 16 Bihar Regiment, was among the 20 Indian soldiers killed in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night during a clash with Chinese troops in the first such incident involving fatalities after a gap of 45 years, signalling a massive escalation in the five-week border standoff in the sensitive region. An alumnus of Sainik School in Korukonda and the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla, he was commissioned into the Bihar Regiment from Indian Military Academy, Dehradun and went on to complete the prestigious Defence Service Staff Course from Wellington before taking over the command of his battalion.

Earlier, Santosh's mortal remains were flown from New Delhi in a special aircraft to Hakimpet Air Force base near Hyderabad on Wednesday and then brought to his residence here, about 140 km from the state capital, late at night. State Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, state Ministers K T Rama Rao, Malla Reddy, Jagdish Reddy, Cyberabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar, Hyderabad City Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar and army officials paid their tributes at the Air Force station.

Public and members of different political parties paid floral tributes to the martyred soldier at many places across Telangana and raised 'Santosh Babu Amar Rahe' slogans. On Thursday, a group of BJP workers held an anti-China protest in Makthal town of Narayanpet district, raising slogans like "China down-down" and also burnt an effigy, a police official said.

Later talking to mediapersons, Minister Jagadish Reddy said Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has assured full support to the bereaved family. Whether they want to stay in Hyderabad or Suryapet, the government will support them. We have informed the family that the area where the martyr was cremated will be developed as Colonel Santosh Babu Memorial. The family members said they will discuss and get back to the government, Reddy said.