Martyr's family on hunger strike, wants govt to bring back severed head

LUCKNOW: Family members of Lance Naik Hemraj Singh, who was killed and beheaded by Pakistani troops last Tuesday, along with the villagers of Sher Nagar in Mathura, are on a hunger strike to protest the neglect, apathy and inaction of the state and central governments.

The family and the villagers want central government to give a befitting reply to Pakistan and bring back the head of the martyr.

They also want chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to visit the village and pay tribute to the martyr, instead of announcing compensation and offering lip service.

The politicians, they said, should learn to honour those who make supreme sacrifice for the country. Senior officers of the Mathura district administration have reached the spot to pacify the villagers.

Lance Naik Hemraj was killed along with Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh, who belonged to Sidhi in Madhya Pradesh.

While Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan was present in the funeral of the martyr, his counterpart Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh neither attended the funeral, not sent any representative of the state cabinet, leading to widespread criticism.

Though Yadav later announced Rs 20 lakh compensation for the family of the martyr, villagers and family members are angry over the initial neglect and apathy of the state administration.

Hemraj is survived by wife Dharmvati (28), two daughters Nirmal (7) and Shivam (3), son Prince (5), and mother Meena Devi. He joined Rajputana Rifles of the Army in 2001.

Angry villagers said that the central government should try and get Hemraj's head to maintain the dignity of his body.

Village head Dharam Veer demanded a befitting reply to Pakistan for 'cowardly act'. He said that villagers are proud of the supreme sacrifice made by the 32-year-old brave soldier and want that he should be awarded with Ashok Chakra for serving the nation.