3rd-generation Army soldier laid to rest with full military honours in Jhunjhunu

Jhunjhunu: In Jhunjhunu's Lalpur village Thursday, amidst chants of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Shaheed Iqbal Amar Rahe", Indian Army's Havildar Iqbal Ali, who died on Aug 26 while patrolling the LoC in Kupwara, J&K, was laid to rest with full military honours.During the ceremony, Army personnel handed the national flag to his 10-year-old daughter, Mahira Bano. As the funeral procession began, Iqbal's brother fainted and was taken to hospital by locals.Ali's father, Yaseen Khan, also retired as a Havildar from the Indian Army, and his grandfather, Afzal Khan, served in the Army as well.According to reports, 42-year-old Havildar Iqbal Ali was stationed with the 21 Grenadiers in Kupwara. His body arrived at Bagad police station Wednesday night and from there was taken in a flower-adorned army truck to the district headquarters' Agrasen Circle. Thousands of youths participated in a 15-km-long tricolour rally, which took two hours to reach Lalpur village. Along the way, villagers and children stood on both sides of the road to pay their last respects, showering flowers. When his body reached home, the family was overwhelmed with grief. His wife Naseem Bano, daughter Mahira, and other family members paid their last respects.The funeral was attended by numerous dignitaries, including Waqf Board chairman Khanu Khan Budhwali, Madrasa Board chairman MD Chopdar, MP Brijendra Ola, Jhunjhunu MLA Rajendra Bhambu, Fatehpur MLA Hakim Ali, Pilani MLA Pitaram Kala, Udaipurwati MLA Bhagwanaram Saini, district collector Arun Garg, SP Brijesh Jyoti Upadhyay, and Congress district president Dinesh Sunda.Ali joined the Army on Jan 15, 2003. He married about 16 years ago. On the morning of Aug 26, while patrolling the LoC with his team, he suddenly experienced severe chest pain. Efforts were made to call a doctor, but he attained martyrdom before help could arrive.

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