In this edition, tales of fierce hill cultures in Himachal.
As part of a series by Zee Media on the brave CRPF jawans who were martyred in the dastardly 2019 Pulwama attack, we remember the sacrifice of the fallen soldiers and revisit the families to know how they have been coping up with the loss. In this edition, tales of fierce hill cultures in Himachal.
Read the other editions in this series:
Unfulfilled promises: Pulwama martyrs' families in Bihar deplore government's empty words
Pulwama attack anniversary: Promises unfulfilled, martyrs' families wait for memorial
Constable Tilak Raj (Himachal Pradesh)
One of the brave CRPF personnel who the country lost in the dastardly Pulwama attack was constable Tilak Raj, from Himachal Pradesh.
A victim of the nefarious terrorist conspiracy, Tilak Raj was the heroic son of Himachal, a brave martyr of the Dhewa Jandroh village in Dharamshala district.
In addition to being a brave soldier of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), what is especially remarkable about Tilak Raj is that he was also a brilliant singer. The echoes of his voice continue to haunt the memories of the people in his village, lapped up in the hills of Himachal.
According to Tilak Raj's younger brother, the soldier, while deeply committed to protecting his country at the border, was also equally committed to protecting the culture of Himachal. Having lent his magical voice in bringing the Himachali Kangri songs (part of the folk culture of Himachal Pradesh) alive, Tilak Raj was also quite popular among the youth.
Tilak Raj's absence has left an eerie void in the valley. As a light-hearted sidenote, it can be mentioned that the soldier also served as a part-time DJ for the hilltop village. His local Kangri hit 'Mera Siddhu Sharabi' is still sort of a staple in village marriage ceremonies. However, the singer's absence still haunts everyone...
Locals of the Dhewa Jandroh village corroborated that all of the promises that were made by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur after the martyr's funeral was fulfilled by MLA Arjun Thakur within six months. Once the prescribed road from the martyr's family home is completed, it will be a true homage to the martyr, locals feel.
Savitri Devi, the wife of Tilak Raj, said with tears in her eyes that although an immeasurable void was created in her heart due to her husband's absence, she was still proud that Raj had given his life for the country.
"My husband's martyrdom will not be forgotten for ages. Not only did he fight for the security of the country, but also for the preservation of the Kangra culture," Savitri Devi said, adding a light joke, "The local youth have even started calling him Tilak Shanu"
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February 14 this year marks the anniversary of the deadly 2019 Pulwama terror attack, that had taken the lives of 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. On February 14, 2019, a powerful explosion rocked a convoy of vehicles carrying the security personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Jammu and Kashmir, on the Jammu-Srinagar Highway at Latoomode in Pulwama district. The powerful explosion, triggered by a suicide bomber carrying explosives in a car, reduced a CRPF bus to a mangled heap of iron and 40 jawans lost their lives.
The responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and the police identified the suicide bomber as Adil Ahmad Dar, a local from the Pulwama district and a member of JeM. Though Pakistan has denied any responsibility for the attack, India has insisted on Pakistan's role in it.
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