GUWAHATI, Nov 15: The last rites of martyred Assam Rifles jawan, Suman Swargiary, were performed with full military honours at his native village in Baksa district in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) on Monday.
Swargiary, a rifleman of 46 Assam Rifles, was among seven persons, including the wife and minor son of the commanding officer of the unit, who were killed in an ambush near the Myanmar border in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Saturday.
Earlier in the morning, Swargiary’s mortal remains were flown in from Jorhat airport to the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport here from where it was escorted in a military convoy to his native Thekerakuchi village in the Barama area, about 100 km from here.
Assam health minister Keshab Mahanta, accompanied by Assam Rifles personnel and district administration officials, paid tributes to the martyred soldier’s mortal remains during a wreath-laying ceremony at the airport here on Monday morning.
Reportedly, the Indian Army aircraft, carrying the mortal remains of the Assam Rifles personnel who were martyred in the militant attack, had to make an emergency landing in Jorhat on Sunday because of a technical snag.
It may be mentioned that militants had gunned down his father, Kanak Swargiary, back in the year 2007.
Suman, who had joined Assam Rifles about a decade back, leaves behind his wife, Juri, and three-year-old son, Barad.
“He had called me recently and informed me that he would be coming home next month to celebrate our son’s third birthday,” his grief-stricken wife informed mediapersons.
Reportedly, he had last visited home in July this year.
A pall of gloom had descended on his native village since the news of his demise was conveyed to his family members on Sunday.
People from across the district gathered to pay their last respects to the martyred jawan on Monday morning.
Meanwhile, in Kokrajhar, people lit candles and offered prayers for the martyred soldiers on Sunday evening.
Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) chief Pramod Boro, while strongly condemning the barbaric attack, requested the Prime Minister and the home minister to rein in the militants with strong hands, “so that our brothers and sisters in the North East can live peacefully.”
Boro also said the BTC would extend all help to the family members of Swargiary and announce financial aid for them.
The Assam government has, meanwhile, announced a financial aid of Rs 50 lakh to the family of the martyred jawan. This was conveyed by state minister U.G Brahma, who was present during the cremation at Thekerakuchi on Monday.