Remembering Warriors: 12-year-old waits to avenge father’s death

Hemraj Meena, 43, Rajasthan

Martyr Hemraj Meena’s son, Ajay, wants to avenge his father. This could be expected of any child who hears about the way the CRPF jawans were killed in Pulwama. 

“My father sacrificed his life for the country. Two days back he told me that you have to become like me when you grow up and kill the terrorists. Now I will kill the enemies,” the twelve-year-old Ajay says.

As the news of his death reached his folds in Vinod Kanla village of Rajasthan’s Kota district through media channels, the people of his village plunged into deep grief and a desire of revenge against the brutality. 

Hemraj, who joined CRPF in 2001, had came to his village on February 10 and left to report to duty on Tuesday morning with a promise, “He would soon return for a five-day vacation,” recalled Ramvilas while adding, “And now he is to come to his home wrapped in a tricolour.”