Waves of shock, grief and outrage were seen on the streets of the state capital on Saturday as the body of Jharkhand martyr Vijay Soreng reached here before taking off in a chopper to his native village Farsama, under Kumhri panchayat of Basia block of Gumla.
Forty CRPF soldiers were killed and several more were injured in one of the deadliest terror attacks in recent times in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, on Thursday.
A student of IFA International School of Art and Design holds a candle on campus in memory of CRPF personnel who lost their lives in the terror strike. Picture by Prashant Mitra
From bankers and ward councillors to notable citizens and youths, everyone spoke against the menace of terrorism that had rocked the Valley. Anger against neighbour Pakistan for allegedly sponsoring this terrorism was visible everywhere.
At Hatia branch of State Bank of India, two minutes of silence were observed as a tribute to the martyrs. Bankers vowed to play their role to help end terrorism.
At Tupudana, residents organised a Janakrosh (Citizens’ Anger) rally and burnt the effigy of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Near Dhurwa dam, around 100 youths spontaneously assembled in the evening and observed a two-minute silence in memory of the martyrs. They also lit candles before the picture of martyr Soreng, the CRPF head constable from Gumla who lost his life in the Pulwama attack.
“Soreng is among the most recent examples of Jharkhandis making the supreme sacrifice for our country. We should take lessons from him and work in such a manner that terrorists don’t dare repeat such an action again,” one of the locality youths, Deepak Kumar, said.
A homage meeting was also organised on the premises of JN College Dhurwa by councillors of wards 37 and 39 Anand Murty and Ved Prakash Singh. People condemned the despicable attack and vowed to do all to end terrorism. Singh said terrorism on Indian soil was being sponsored by Pakistan and this could not be tolerated.
Shop owners and vendors protest against the Pulwama attack at Albert Ekka Chowk. Picture by Prashant Mitra
At Piska More, an event was organised by Late Uday Shanker Ojha Memorial Trust to pay tribute to martyrs and pledge to end terrorism. Son of renowned departed trade union leader Uday Shanker Ojha, Deepak Ojha in his address termed terrorism as “cancer” and demanded an “immediate operation” against Pakistan for a permanent solution to the problem.
State organising secretary of BJP Dharampal Singh told this paper on Saturday that his party had organised a nationwide protest against terrorism on Sunday.
“Our party workers will stage demonstration at every district headquarters against terrorism,” Singh said.
On Thursday, a Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber detonated a vehicle laden with explosives to blow up a paramilitary bus, which was part of a convoy, in Pulwama. This was the first time a suicide bomber in an explosives-laden vehicle had targeted a CRPF convoy. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the attack.
