Bhind (Madhya Pradesh): A solemn silence enveloped Chhitawali village in Ater in Bhind as Dafadar Shailendra Singh Bhadoriya, who died in an accident during an army operation in Jammu and Kashmir, was cremated with full state honours on Saturday.
His six-year-old son Bhavesh Bhadoriya lit the funeral pyre of his father, whose body had been brought home wrapped in the tricolour.
Villagers and officials gathered to pay their last respects as the martyr’s remains arrived. Army personnel presented a guard of honour. Shailendra’s wife, Shivani, displayed extraordinary courage, comforting mourners before bidding a quiet, tearful farewell to her husband.
Shivani said that she had last talked to her husband on phone on January 21, Shailendra had expressed a sense of foreboding. “I am going on the high hills. you please take care,” he had told her. Shortly afterwards, news arrived that the army vehicle he was travelling in had fallen into a gorge in Doda district, killing Shailenra and nine other soldiers.
The Bhadoriya family carries a legacy of service and sacrifice. Residents confirmed that Bhadoriya’s grandfather was also martyred in 1972. His elder brother Dev Singh, who is a retired soldier, said, “We are heartbroken, but we are also proud that my brother laid down his life in defence of the nation.”
The final journey saw people showering flowers and chanting slogans in honor of the soldier. The sight of young Bhavesh weeping beside his father’s body moved the entire gathering. Senior officials, including Brigadier Amit Verma, SDM Shivani Agrawal, and Major Akshay Kumar, attended the cremation.
