A pall of gloom hangs over soldier Kundan Kumar’s home at Aran village in Saharsa district of Bihar but his father said he would send his grandsons to the army.

“It’s my son who has laid down his life for the country. I still have two grandsons and I will send them to the army. Yeh baat yahin khatam nahi hogi (This thing will not end here),” Nimendra Yadav told visitors who had come to console him, while his wife and daughter-in-law cried inconsolably inside.

Kundan, who died fighting the Chinese in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh on Monday night, had joined the army in 2012 and got married in 2013. His sons are five and three, respectively.

Of the 20 soldiers of the 16 Bihar Regiment who laid down their lives during the face-off with the Chinese, five are from Bihar — havildar Sunil Kumar and sepoys Chandan Kumar, Kundan Kumar, Aman Kumar and Jai Kishore Singh. Their bodies are expected to arrive on Wednesday night and the last rites performed on Thursday.

Grief, anger, tears and pride marked the households of the soldiers as villagers assembled to console the family members and pay their tributes to the deceased.

“A phone call from the army came at 9 last night (Tuesday). Somebody enquired whether I was the father of soldier Aman Kumar. I replied yes. The voice said ‘woh shaheed ho gaye’ (he has become a martyr) and the call got disconnected,” said Aman’s father Sudhir Kumar Singh, before breaking down.

“I was sitting in the dalaan (outer verandah) when the call came and I have been sitting here since then. I am sad, I am crying, I am remembering my son, but I am proud that he died for the country,” Sudhir told The Telegraph.

Sepoy Aman Kumar’s grieving wife Meenu Devi at her home in Sultanpur Purab in Samastipur district. Picture by Sanjay Choudhary

Sudhir, who has three sons and a daughter, said in a quivering voice that the central government should induct his youngest son, who is 18 now, into the army so that he can also serve the country.

Aman, 24, a native of Sultanpur Purab village under Mohiuddinagar block in Samastipur district, had joined the army in 2014 and got married in 2019. He had been deployed on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since March this year. He had last visited his home in February.

Aman’s wife fell unconscious after getting the news and was given medical attention, while his mother and other family members are in mourning.

Mohiuddinagar falls under the Ujiarpur parliamentary constituency, which is represented by minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai. The area is well-known because a large number of men join the armed forces from there.

Havildar Sunil Kumar, 35, a native of Tarapur village under Bihta police station, had joined the army in 2002. He leaves behind aged parents — mother Rukmini Devi, 80, and father Vasudev Sah, 85, a paralytic patient — wife Ritika Devi, two daughters and a son.

Ayush Kumar, son of Havildar Sunil Kumar who was killed in the Galwan Valley, pays tribute to his father during a wreath-laying ceremony at Patna airport on Wednesday. (PTI)

“He had called me three days ago (on Sunday) asking me to eat properly, ensure that his father drinks milk and not to leave him alone. But now he has left us alone. How will we live now?” asked Rukmini.

People of Tarapur and other neighbouring villages rushed with national flags to Sunil’s home, raised slogans against China and demanded a ban on Chinese goods. Sunil’s elder brother is a retired armyman.

A huge crowd of grieving people assembled at Jai Kishore Singh’s house at Chakfateh village under Jandaha police station in Vaishali district. The 20-year-old had joined the army in 2018. He was the second among four brothers. His elder brother is also in the forces.

“His dream was to become a soldier and he pursued it. He was fun-loving, courageous and fond of gadgets. He had not even seen the world properly, yet laid down his life for the country. I am proud of his act and will send my other sons also to the army. It’s time to tame China,” said his father Raj Kapoor Singh, a farmer.

Chandan Kumar hailed from Kora Gyanpura village under Jagdishpur block of Bhojpur district. The youngest among four brothers and four sisters, he was to get married in April but it got postponed due to the lockdown.

“I have given all my four sons to the army. Chandan was the youngest of the four and had joined the forces in 2017. He has made me proud. I am very sad, but proud. I want the army and the government to avenge his death. It is not just my demand, it is the nation’s demand,” said his father Hridanand Singh, a farmer.