In a departure from tradition, 25-year-old Madhu, the daughter of martyr Honorary Capt Fateh Singh who was killed in a gun battle with militants at the Pathankot airbase on January 2, was among the four to carry her father’s coffin to the pyre.

This is a tradition, rather a stereotype especially in villages, performed generally by the sons.

 She chose to do it herself. A sea of emotions poured in at his native village in Gurdaspur district of Punjab where the last rites were performed.

Madhu says her father never discriminated between sons and daughters. Fateh Singh won gold and silver medals in the first Commonwealth Shooting Championships held in 1995.

He was on duty at the Pathankot base as part of the Defence Security Corps. Madhu said her father was on duty at 3 am that day just when they heard gun shots.

The daughter says the moments were so scary that they hid themselves under the bed on the floor. That morning, she had lost her father who valiantly fought the terrorists.