76 more soldiers were injured
People from all walks of life made a beeline to the Army officer’s house to share their grief
At least 76 Indian soldiers were injured, apart from the 20 soldiers who were killed during the bloody clash with Chinese soldiers in Galwan Valley on Monday night.
According to sources, about 18 injured soldiers are admitted to the military hospital in Leh. Out of these, four were initially critical but are now stable. Another 58 soldiers also suffered injuries but sources said that they are likely to get better soon and may even join their units this week itself.
There are unconfirmed reports of some soldiers still missing but there is no official word on it yet.
A meeting between the Major Generals of the Indian and Chinese Army was again held on Wednesday at Galwan. However the talks were inconclusive and no decision could be reached on disengagement and other issues.
A neem tree stands imposingly before the house providing shade and as if standing guard in a by-lane in Vidyanagar area of Suryapet.
While Rammurthy Hospital is the area’s landmark, since Tuesday, it was the house in the by-lane that everyone was heading to. In it lived the martyred Col. B. Santosh Kumar.
People from all walks of life, from officials from state administration and army, friends, family to others, made a beeline as they wanted to share their grief over the loss of Col Santosh Babu and console the bereaved family.
Col. Santosh Babu is now a household name in the town, which had banners mourning his death all over within hours of receiving news of his martyrdom during a clash with Chinese soldiers at Ladakh on Monday.
In the hour of inconsolable grief, family members, including his father B. Damodar, and uncles, received mourners even as the local administration made arrangements to ensure that no crowds gathered at the house.
ASHA workers and two sub-inspectors of police were deployed at the entrance of the house to ensure that visitors follow discipline and go through Covid-19 screening. Officials also ensured that disinfectant was sprayed in the premises and the bylanes frequently.
Around 50 police personnel were deployed in the surrounding areas of the residence. And to ensure social distancing, squares were drawn right from the by-lane entry point. All roads leading to the house were barricaded to prevent vehicular traffic from clogging up the area.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, S. Satish Babu, maternal uncle of Santosh Babu, said, “I have received calls from Delhi chief minister Aravind Kejriwal, Telangana Chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, Union minister G. Krishan Reddy, senior
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who all expressed their condolences and support for the family.”
Ramesh, one of the martyr’s relatives, recalled “Damodar, I and a few others used to go for morning walks. During our conversations, Damodar often used to talk about his son and how proud he was of him and his service to the nation.”
Another relative, recalling one of Col Babu’s visits, said “Last year for the first time, he attended a festival of clan-deities, a traditional Hindu ritual along with his family. They enjoyed a lot and interacted with family members. They took a number of photos on the occasion.”
Family members, friends and others awaiting the arrival of the body from Hakimpet, waited patiently Wednesday evening to get a last look before Thursday’s funeral.