“Had Plans For Marriage”: Family After Soldier Dies In Galwan Valley

Chandigarh: When Sepoy Gurbinder Singh came home last year, he got engaged. “We had plans for his marriage this year when he was to return home on leave,” his uncle Jagseer Singh told PTI.

Now, his body is arriving Thursday at their Totawal village in Sangrur’s Sunam tehsil.

The 22-year-old was among the 20 Army men killed in a clash with Chinese soldiers in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley on Monday.

Four of the soldiers were from Punjab. The three others were Naib Subedar Satnam Singh (Gurdaspur), Naib Subedar Mandeep Singh (Patiala), and Sepoy Gurtej Singh (Mansa).

“We received a call at 6.30 am today that Gurbinder Singh has attained martyrdom,” his elder brother Gurpreet Singh said.

Gurbinder Singh joined the Army in 2018 and was with the 3 Punjab Regiment. He is survived by his parents, a brother and a sister. He talked to them on phone about 15 days ago, family members said.

In Gurdaspur’s Bhojraj village, the family of Naib Subedar Satnam Singh, 41, was inconsolable.

He is survived by his father Jagir Singh, mother Jasbir Kaur, wife Jaswinder Kaur, daughter Sandeep Kaur, 17, and son Prabhjot Singh,16. He had joined the Army in 1995.

Jagir Singh said his son returned to Ladakh just a month ago.

“He is a great martyr and I am proud of him. He last talked to us on Monday but no one knew that was his last call,” said the father.

Satnam Singh’s younger brother Sukhchain Singh, who is also in the Army, said if he gets the chance he will avenge the deaths of the Indian soldiers. He was proud that Satnam sacrificed his life for the nation.

In Seel village in Patiala’s Rajpura tehsil, the family of 39-year-old Naib Subedar Mandeep Singh was in grief.

The family includes his 65-year-old mother Shakuntla, wife Gurdeep Kaur, and his three sisters. Gurdeep Kaur said she had talked to him just a few days back.

Mandeep Singh had joined the Army in December 1997.

Patiala MP Preneet Kaur consoled the family members.

The fourth soldier from Punjab, Sepoy Gurtej Singh, 22, hailed from village Bire Wala Dogra in Mansa district’s Budhadha tehsil.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday offered condolences to the families and announced compensation for them.

Under the government policy, the immediate family members of married soldiers receive Rs 12 lakh. The families of unmarried soldiers are given Rs 10 lakh.