People of the state gave rich tributes to martyr Vijay Soreng, whose mortal remains, wrapped in tricolour, arrived at the Birsa Munda Airport here on Saturday afternoon. Soreng was cremated with State honours as police band bade him adieu amidst resonating slogans of Vijay Soreng Amar Rahe at his ancestral village in Gumla district later in the evening.
Soreng’s mortal remains landed in Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport at around 4pm on Saturday and a sea of people, including a gamut of politicians and ministers cutting across party lines, gathered outside the airport to get a glimpse of the great soldier since morning.
Martyr Soreng’s mortal remains was supposed to land in Ranchi at 9am on Saturday, but due to a technical snag in the aircraft its arrival in Ranchi got delayed by seven hours. His body was brought to Ranchi by a chopper from Patna airport.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das, Governor Droupadi Murmu, Union Minister Jayant Sinha, Ranchi Mayor Asha Lakra among other prominent political personalities paid floral tribute to Soreng outside the Ranchi airport.
“We will stand by the martyr’s family and provide all possible support, right from education for his children to taking care of his family in his absence,” said Das.
The 43-year-old martyr, a resident of Basia in Gumla district, was among the 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel martyred in the terror attack in Pulwama on Thursday. He is survived by his wife, parents and five children.
On Saturday, former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay was among the hundreds of commoners who gathered at the airport since morning awaiting the arrival of Soreng. Urban Development Minister CP Singh, BJP State President Laxman Giluwa, BJP Legislator Navin Jaiswal and Ranchi MP Ramtahal Choudhary and many other political leaders also paid tribute to the martyr at the airport.
“The opposition stands united at this time of grief. The government must take immediate actions and give a befitting reply to the terrorists,” Sahay said.
Soreng’s body left for Basia in Gumla from Ranchi by air. As the CRPF truck moved out of the airport premises, the crowd started shouting slogans against Pakistan and demanding immediate action by the government.
Meanwhile, villagers gathered outside Soreng’s thatched house in Gumla’s Kumhari Farsama village awaiting arrival of his body since afternoon. The last rites will be performed in his native village. His body had not reached the village by the time this report was filed.
Soreng was born in an extremely backward, tribal-dominated Kumhari Farsama village of Basia Block in Gumla in the year 1974. He completed his schooling in the village and joined the CRPF in 1993 while pursuing higher studies in Ranchi.
