HYDERABAD: Despite the Covid-19 fear, more than 30,000 people turned up to pay their last respects to martyred Colonel Santosh Babu at Kesaram village, about five km from Suryapet, on Thursday.Around two years ago, Colonel Santosh Babu’s father, Upender Babu retired and shifted with his wife to their ancestral place in Suryapet. Even though many in the town did not know Santosh, they all wanted to bid farewell. Lanes that bore a deserted look till just a few days ago amidst the Coronavirus fear, on Thursday were flooded with people, who wanted to have a “glimpse of the brave hero”.
Asha workers who were deployed outside the Colonel’s house, checked the temperature and distributed masks to the people. Barricades were set up to ensure social distancing. Around 11 am on Thursday, the six-km long procession, which began from the Colonel’s residence at Vidyanagar Colony, went through the streets of Suryapet town that observed a complete shutdown as a mark of respect, and reached the family’s agriculture farm at Kesaram village.
Standing on their balconies and leaning over windows, many showered flower petals on the Army vehicle carrying the soldier’s body in a coffin wrapped in the National Flag. Chants of “Santosh Babu amar rahe (long live Santosh Babu)” and “Vande Mataram” rose as crowds joined the funeral procession at several junctions.
The four-year-old son of Colonel Santosh Babu, Anirudh, held by his mother, was a part of the heart-breaking rituals carried out with full military honours. Around noon, the Colonel’s father performed the last rites.
Colonel Santosh Babu, who studied in a Sainik School and National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, was commissioned into the Bihar Regiment from Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He went on to complete the prestigious Defence Service Staff Course from Wellington before taking over the command of his battalion.
Mourners bay for surgical strike, boycott of Chinese goods
Hyderabad: Several mourners at Colonel Santosh Babu’s funeral vented their anger at China. While many said that India should start a war against China to avenge the killing of 20 Indian soldiers, the others called for a boycott for China-made appliances and mobile applications like Tik ToK. Ravindranath, who is in his late 60s said, “Gandhiji started the Satyagraha movement. It is time Indians start another similar movement and boycott all Chinese products.” Col Santosh Babu’s father and his relatives also urged the people to boycott Chinese products. Meanwhile, Raghav, 20, said, “India should be prepared for another surgical strike on China.”