Parents of Colonel Santosh Babu, Commanding Officer of the 16 Bihar Regiment, who lost his life in the violent face-off with Chinese soldiers in Galwan valley area, are shocked by the unexpected loss.
Upender and Manjula, the parents told news channel NDTV that they spoke to him on Sunday, a day before he was killed in a violent face-off with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh. Santosh Babu told his parents that he was concerned about the border tension but he said it could not be discussed as it was a sensitive subject, reported NDTV. He also told his parents not to worry and the the situation on the ground is not like it is being made out in the media.
Colonel Santosh Babu's parents said they had first been in disbelief but later accepted the truth after being informed by higher authorities about the face-off.
Manjula, the martyred Colonel's mother, told NDTV that "I am both sad and proud. My son has laid down his life for the country. As a mother I am sad. He was my only son."
"We are under deep shock, we could not believe it when we got to know about our son. I could not believe it as he was very brave. Since the last fifteen years, he had gained success. I immediately inquired from one of the officers. Later, several officers of the Army contacted directly through my phone. They said that they are making arrangements to get the body from that place to Suryapet," Col Santosh's father, Upender, told ANI.
The violent face-off happened on late evening and night of June 15 in Ladakh's Galwan Valley as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to "unilaterally change" the status quo during de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh and the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side, India said on Tuesday.
