In another brazen attack by Pakistan violating ceasefire on Indo-Pak border near Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, five Indian Army personnel, including Jharkhand’s Santosh Gope, were martyred on Sunday morning.

The information of Santosh’s martyrdom was given to his family members by senior army officials.

As soon as the news of Santosh’s martyrdom reached his native village Mamarla under Basia Sub Division of Gumla district, an unusual silence gripped the area.  Relatives kept visiting his house, while the martyr’s parents said that they are proud that their son could sacrifice his life for the country. “We are fortunate that our son gave the supreme sacrifice for the country, but he was the sole bread earner of the family.  Our elder son does farming. Santosh wanted to build a house for us at Gumla, but he could not complete it,” said Santosh’s mother Saro Devi. The martyr’s father Jeetu Gope said that his son had last visited them in May this year.

“He was scheduled to visit home during Diwali again and we wanted to marry him off, but he is no more with us. Now, we want the Government to take 10 heads in lieu of one,” he said. Santosh was recruited in the Army in the year 2012. He had passed class X from Nirmala High School near his village and Intermediate from St Ignatius’ High School Gumla. Soon after completion of his education he had joined the Army and was recently deputed in Kashmir.

Chief Minister Raghubar Das paid tributes to the martyr and said that Jharkhand’s each resident is with family of Santosh Gope.