Death of Soldier in Kulgam: Wife delivers baby girl hours before his cremation

Srinagar: Barely hours before his mortal were remains consigned to flames at his ancestral village in Ramban on October 23, martyr Ranjeet Singh’s wife delivered a baby girl, their first child after a wait of 10 years.

Lance Naik Ranjeet Singh Bhutyal was one of the three soldiers from Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry who fell to the bullets of Pakistani intruders along the Line of Control in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district on Sunday.

Two days later, barely hours before his mortal remains were consigned to flames at his ancestral village in Ramban on Tuesday, his wife delivered a baby girl – the first child of the couple after a wait of 10 years.

The bold wife of the braveheart couldn’t hold back her tears; one wouldn’t know if they were of joy or grief. However, her words did echo the dream of every family member of a martyr. “I wish my daughter too joins the Indian Army and serves the nation like her father,” Shimpu Devi said.

The tricolour-wrapped coffin carrying the body of the 36-year-old soldier reached his village Suligam on October 22 after a wreath-laying ceremony at Akhnoor Garrison. But due to some delay, the cremation could not take place, and the family decided to perform the last rites on October 23.

However, Devi developed labour pain around midnight on October 22 and was admitted to the district hospital where she delivered the baby girl around 5 am today, officials said. They said Devi, along with the newborn, was taken to the cremation ground in Chamba-Seri in an ambulance for one last glimpse of her husband. Later, the last rites of the soldier were performed with full military honours.

The soldier waited for ten years for the birth of his first child, but destiny had something else in store for him, Vijay Kumar, a resident known to the family, said. The entire village is in deep mourning, but the arrival of the child is expected to help the family to overcome the grief, Kumar added.

Shimpu Devi wants her daughter to also fight for the country by joining the armed forces.