Hero's farewell for Col Santosh

Thousands of people bid a tearful adieu to Colonel Santosh Mahadik, who was cremated with full military honours on Thursday in Satara district, two days after he died after being shot in  gunfight with terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir.

The 38-year Indian Army officer is survived by wife Swati, an 11-year-old daughter Katikee and a five-year-old son Swaraj. Son of a farmer from Satara in western Maharashtra, he was the commanding officer of 41-Rashtriya Rifles.

A throng of people raised slogans like “jai jawan, jai kisan”, “Col Mahadik amar rahe”, “bharat mata ki jai”, “jab tak suraj chand rahega, Col Mahadik, tera naam rahega” even as his last rites were performed amidst a 21-rifle salute.

After his death on Tuesday, his mortal remains were flown to Pune from Udhampur on Wednesday afternoon where Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis laid the wreath.

Parrikar on scene
On Thursday, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar himself was present in Aredare, the village where he was born and then at Pogarwadi village, where the last rites were performed.

Parrikar also met the late officer’s mother and wife, when the latter said that both her kids would join the armed forces.

“Both my children will join the armed forces,” she told a visibly moved Parrikar.
He also consoled the grieving mother and told the family that the armed forces were behind them.