This story is from June 19, 2020

Three-year-old’s salute to dad moves crowd to tears

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.
Three-year-old’s salute to dad moves crowd to tears
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.
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About the Author
Ch Sushil Rao

Sushil Rao is Editor-Special Reports, at The Times of India, Hyderabad. He began his journalism career at the age of 20 in 1988. He is a gold medalist in journalism from the Department of Communication and Journalism, Arts College, Osmania University, Hyderabad from where he did his post-graduation from. He has been with The Times of India’s Hyderabad edition since its launch in 2000. He has also done an introductory course in film studies from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, and also from the Central University of Kerala equipping himself with the knowledge of filmmaking for film criticism. He has authored four books. In his career spanning 34 years, he has worked for five newspapers and has also done television reporting. He was also a web journalist during internet’s infancy in the mid 1990s in India. He covers defence, politics, diaspora, innovation, administration, the film industry, Hyderabad city and Telangana state, and human interest stories. He is also a podcaster, blogger, does video reporting and makes documentaries.

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