Dantewada Naxal Attack: Heartbreaking scenes at martyred jawan Lakhmu Markam's village, grieving widow lays down on husband's pyre

Amid a massive gathering and the sound of the slogan 'Shaheed Jawan Amar Rahe', residents of village Kasoli in Dantewada district bid an emotional farewell to their hero Lakhmu Markam, who sacrificed his life in the line of duty.

Notably, 10 personnel of District Reserve Guards (DRG) and a civilian driver were killed after Naxals blasted a vehicle ferrying the security personnel on Wednesday in the Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.

As the mortal remains of Markam reached his village Kasoli on Thursday, April 27, large numbers of villagers turned out to pay floral tributes to the courageous DRG constable.

Markam's wife laid herself down on the funeral pyre

When the entire village was resonated with the slogans raised by villagers and everyone broke into tears, the inconsolably Markam's wife herself lay down on the funeral pyre so that her husband should not be made to lie on the pyre. With teary eyes, Markam's wife was seen saying that she cannot see her husband being burned in the fire. The villagers were trying to console the victim's wife as well as the children.

The funeral procession of the DRG trooper marked the lighting of crackers and a beat of traditional musical instruments.

While interacting with ANI, villagers said that the family of constable Markam was earlier residing at the naxal hotbed Abujhmad area and disappointed by the exploitation of insurgents, they migrated following which the family was rehabilitated at 'Salwa Judum Relief Camp'. Realising the dark side of Naxalism, Markam joined the force and actively participated in anti-naxal operations.

Markam has been survived by a wife and four children.

After joining the police department, Markam started working with DRG and he was very simple in nature, said a villager Chaitram Atami, elaborating that he stands by everyone in tough times.

"After the Naxals pushed Markam's family as well as others out of their native village by branding them as police informers following which they migrated here," Atami said.

"Certainly, we are sad by this incident but proud of him for sacrificing his life for the country," he added.

Markam had joined the police department in 2007, said the jawan's brother-in-law Sannu Ram. 

 5 cops had quit Naxalism to start new life

Of the ten police personnel who lost their lives in a Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, five had joined the force after quitting Naxalism, a senior official said on Thursday.

Ten personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and their civilian driver were killed after Naxals blew up a vehicle, which was part of a convoy carrying security personnel in the Aranpur police station area of Dantewada on Wednesday afternoon, using a powerful improvised explosive device (IED). The blast site is located around 450km from state capital Raipur.

(With ANI/PTI inputs)