SIDDIPET: In an atmosphere filled with grief,
Col Santosh Babu’s three-year-old son Anirudh Teja saluting the body of his father at the cremation site in Suryapet brought tears to the eyes of people. Teja who was being carried by a close family member saw the crowd, police and the military personnel saluting the body which had been placed on the
funeral pyre and he too followed suit.
The cremation was done on a piece of land belonging to the family at Kasarabad, 5 km from the town.
The fact that her father has died has not sunk into the mind of Col Santosh Babu’s eight-year-old daughter Abhigna. She, along with her mother, Santoshi placed wood on the body of Col Santosh before the funeral pyre was lit.
“Abhigna has still not realised that she can see him no more,” their uncle Mukteshwar said. At the ame time, Col Santosh’s wife Santoshi struggled to fight back her tears at the funeral. People were overcome with emotion as an
army official handed over her husband’s Army uniform to her.
Police did not allow the large crowds to come to the cremation site but those who came climbed trees which were close by and also watched from the roofs of the under construction houses in the vicinity.
Among the crowd was a 22-year-old army aspirant. “I climbed a tree and watched the cremation. I have twice tried to get into the army but could not. I am inspired to try again,” he said.
A municipal worker B Mahesh who described his work as a ‘death vehicle driver’ said he was overcome with emotion as he arranged the wood for the funeral pyre along with other workers. “Col Santosh died protecting our country. Our gratitude to him and his family cannot be measured,” he said echoing the sentiment of the people of the town.