Nation bids adieu to Colonel Santosh Babu

Suryapet: People in thousands turned up to bid a tearful and emotional farewell to Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu on Thursday, both at his residence and the family’s agriculture field where the last rites were performed by his father B Upender with full military honours. Colonel Santosh Babu, Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar Regiment, was martyred in a clash with Chinese troops in Ladakh on Monday, and his body reached Suryapet late on Wednesday evening.

The body was consigned to flames by his father in the presence of top Army, police and district officials in the field at Kesaram, eight km from the town.

Earlier, in an unprecedented emotional outpouring and display of gratitude, thousands queued up to pay their last respects to Colonel Santosh Babu at his Vidyanagar residence. It was not just the top brass of the Army, police officials or politicians who gathered at the residence to pay their last respects. Thousands of people from the town and nearby villages made their way to the martyr’s residence right from early morning to catch a glimpse of the person who led the Bihar Regiment from the front against the Chinese troops.

Even as the body was brought out from the residence, people raised slogans hailing the hero and the Indian Army. The family was seen maintaining a calm composure as the long line of people, extending to over two



kms from the residence, kept moving. The funeral procession started at 10 am with the body placed in a decorated olive green Army vehicle with the national flag draped over his body.

Large number of people waited along the route of the funeral procession to catch a glimpse of the body of the slain Colonel. People showered petals from rooftops as the procession made its way through the streets. Army Subedar Dinesh Kumar supervised the final rites while Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy monitored the arrangements to ensure smooth conduct of the last rites.

The funeral procession reached Kesaram at 11.40 am after passing through MG road and old bus stand area. Army officials and relatives carried the coffin to the cremation place before the last rites began. Santoshi, wife of the slain Colonel, broke down when the Army officials handed over the uniform and the tricolour that was used to drape his coffin. Personnel of Bihar 19th battalion gave a 21-gun salute to the fallen soldier.

State Legislative Council Chairman G Sukhender Reddy, former Union minister Pallam Raju, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, BJP State president Bandi Sanjay, MLAs Gadadri Kishore, Chirumarthi Lingaiah and Shanampudi Saidi Reddy, Army officials and relatives attended the funeral.