Pulwama attack: Assam jawan killed in J&K had wishes unfulfilled

Baksa: Before leaving for duty, all that Maneswar Basumatary wanted was to have a family photograph clicked, said his family members in Tamulpur in Assam’s Baksa district on Friday.

“He was of the opinion that a family photograph is all that will remain if he ever got killed in the line of duty. Alas, his dream couldn’t be fulfilled,” said Basumatary’s wife.

Basumatary was among the at least 40 CRPF personnel killed in a terror attack in Pulwama in Jammu & Kashmir on Thursday.

The incident happened when a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber rammed his vehicle carrying over 350 kg of explosives into a bus carrying the CRPF men.

Also Read: Pulwama attack: Assam martyr Maneswar’s daughter offered govt job

More than 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Valley, were travelling in the convoy of 78 vehicles when they were ambushed on the Srinagar-Jammu highway at 3.15 pm on Thursday.

Like many others Basumatary, who was in his 50s, had also left his home in Baksa on February 4 to join duty in Jammu & Kashmir after being on a month-long leave.

Basumatary’s wife further said that before leaving, he also wanted to donate a goat for the well-being of his family at the nearby Gopal Mandir, which too couldn’t be fulfilled.

Basumatary’s only daughter, while talking to media persons, said that his father used to call her often to wake her up in the mornings. “He always told me that everyone should make it a habit of get up early in the morning. Today, instead of his call, I received the message of his martyrdom,” she added with tears in her eyes.

Basumatary was in service for the past 25 years. He joined the forces when his daughter was just about a month old.

Meanwhile, commenting on the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Those behind the terrorist attack in Pulwama will have to pay a heavy price. The terrorists… they have made a big mistake. You will have to pay a very heavy price…I assure everyone that the forces behind the attack…we will bring them to justice,” PM Modi said in an address in Delhi after chairing a top level security meeting with senior ministers.

Also Read: ‘Mastermind’ of Pulwama attack, among 2 terrorists killed in J&K

Union minister Arun Jaitley said the government has decided to take all possible diplomatic steps to ensure Pakistan’s isolation and has withdrawn Most Favoured Nation status to the country.

A 12-member team of the National Investigation Agency or NIA will reach Pulwama on Friday to assist the Jammu and Kashmir Police in forensic evaluation of the spot.

Home minister Rajnath Singh will be visiting Srinagar to take stock of the situation and hold review meetings with senior security and police officials to make ground level assessment and review further operational actions.