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In a tragic incident, 19-year-old Amritpal Pal Singh, a brave soldier from Mansa district in Punjab, was martyred near the Line of Control (LOC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district. The young soldier was serving in the Mankote Sector.
Amritpal Pal Singh was found in a pool of blood after his colleagues heard a gunshot around 5 am. Preliminary investigations revealed that Singh died of a bullet from his own service rifle. The police have started inquest proceedings to ascertain the facts.
The circumstances surrounding his death are still under investigation, with officials probing whether it was due to an accidental discharge from his weapon or if it was a case of suicide.
Amritpal Pal Singh had been recruited by Agniveer in December 20223. His untimely death has left his family, friends, and the nation in mourning.
Martyred Amritpal Pal denied army honour
The young Agniveer's father told Indian Express that he had spoken to his son that morning and that he seemed well. The same night, they found Amritpal Singh in his unit with a gunshot wound. His father is demanding a probe into his son's death.
Amritpal Singh’s father Gurdeep Singh said, “He told me that from Oct 24 onwards, he had taken leave to attend my niece’s wedding and he was excitedly looking forward to the event. After completing his training at the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles training centre in Jabalpur, he visited the village in September and departed on September 20 to join his unit in Poonch. We don't know under what circumstances he died and we are demanding a thorough investigation."
His father also said that the guard of honour did not have an Army contingent present. He said, only an Army Havaldar and two soldiers had accompanied his son's body.
In a statement, the Indian Army said, “Agniveer Amritpal Singh unfortunately died from a self-inflicted gunshot injury while on sentry duty in the Rajouri Sector. We are currently conducting a Court of Inquiry to ascertain more details. The Agniveer unit hired a Civil Ambulance to transport the mortal remains of the deceased, and one Junior Commissioned Officer and four Other Ranks accompanied them."
The statement further added, "Accompanying Army personnel also attended the last rites. The cause of death was a self-inflicted injury, no guard of honour or military funeral was provided, in accordance with the existing policy. Indian Army offers its deepest condolences to the bereaved family."
Reaction
This incident has sparked a conversation about the treatment of our soldiers and the recognition they receive for their service. The stark reminder of the sacrifices our soldiers made and the need to acknowledge and respect their contributions confronts us.
Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi from Uddhav Thackeray camp noted the Central government's "inhumane" approach to Agniveers on Twitter. She also poked fun at the PM Modi-led government for the uproar over the India-Pakistan match in Ahmedabad.
Priyanka Chaturvedi said, “This will break your heart. A 19 year old Agniveer martyred at LoC, more inhumane is GoI approach to Agniveers. @DefenceMinIndia Oh yeah @bcci, India-Pak josh main kami na aaye. Naach gaane main in veeron ki shahadat bhool gaye. #ShameOnBCCI."
"Shocked to learn that Agniveer amritpal Singh, who martyred in the line of duty in Poonch in J & K, received no Army guard of honour at his cremation. Also, his family brought his body in a private ambulance to his native village in Mansa! I came to know that this occurred because Amritpal was an #Agniveer. We must respect all our soldiers. I request Defence Minister @rajnathsingh to order the accordance of military honors to all martyred soldiers." Former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said.
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