SRINAGAR: A memorial for 40 CRPF men killed in Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bombing at Lethpora, Pulwama, last year this day was inaugurated on Friday but none from the central government or the J&K administration attended the function to pay tributes to the fallen heroes. This, despite the fact that terror attack had pushed India and Pakistan closer to war.
The memorial having names of all 40 jawans killed in the attack was inaugurated at CRPF’s Training Centre at Lethpora by Additional Director General of CRPF, Zulfiquar Hasan. The memorial has been set up at headquarters of 185 battalion of CRPF, which also serves as commando training centre, adjacent to the place where the suicide bomber Adil Ahmed Dar rammed his explosive-landed car into a CRPF.
The absence of Union ministers and J&K Lt-Governor or his advisors from the function disappointed the CRPF personnel. “Had they come today, it would have been a morale booster for the jawans and the force. However, they preferred other duties rather than coming to Kashmir on this day and being with us to share our grief and sorrows,” said a jawan. However, Hasan said, “They are our martyrs. We know how to respect our martyrs. That business should be left to us.”