My father is on duty: Slain CRPF's 4-yr-old son

Nearly two hours before suicide bomber Adil Ahmad Dar rammed his Scorpio into the CRPF bus on Thursday, constable Ratan Kumar Thakur of CRPF’s 45 Battalion had called up his wife Rajnandini in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district.

“We are on way from Jammu to Srinagar. Will speak to you after reaching there in the evening. Tell Papa that I will come home during Holi and will look for a suitable groom for Neetu (his younger sister), preferably a government servant,” Ratan told Rajnandini at 1.30 pm on Thursday.

At 4 pm, an official from the CRPF office called up Neetu and asked her whether Ratan had any other mobile number. Neetu said, “No. But what happened?”

“Just switch on the TV and watch the news,” the official told her.

Ratan’s family then had to confirm their worst fears. Ratan’s father Ram Niranjan Thakur called up the commander of the paramilitary force. He said “Right now, we can’t say anything for sure. Once we get confirmed news, we will inform you.”

Hours later, Ram Niranjan was informed that his only son Ratan was no more. A pall of gloom descended, although efforts were made not to inform Ratan’s wife Rajnandini as she was pregnant.

“My father has gone on duty,” said Ratan’s four-year-old son Krishna Thakur, sitting in the lap of his grandfather. “Papa told me over the phone that he will come to meet us during Holi and he asked me to address everyone as ‘Aap’, not ‘Tum’,” the tiny tot said, oblivious of the terror attack that claimed his father’s life.

“Ratan was my only son. I used to sell vegetables, fruit juices, clothes etc. so that my son gets a proper education and a good job. He joined CRPF in 2011 and was first posted at Garwha in Jharkhand,” said Ram Niranjan on Friday, still mustering courage to inform to his daughter-in-law about what happened.

ONE MORE MARTYRED

Meanwhile, Bihar lost another son Sanjay Sinha in the Srinagar attack. Before leaving on Feb. 8 to join his duty, CRPF personnel Sanjay had told his wife Babita that he would return in 15 days as he had to be back for marriage negotiations for his daughter Ruby. And now, the entire Masaurhi (Sanjay’s ancestral place) is in shock with the news that was a victim in the terror attack.