InsideNE Exclusive | Martyr M Basumatary's family express emotions on day of his death

Guwahati, February 15, 2019:

One of the brave Indian warriors, who departed the Earth yesterday after the dastardly suicide bombing in Kashmir’s Pulwama, belonged to the soil of Assam. Hailing from the humble village of Kolbari in Assam’s Baksa district, Maneshwar Basumatary left his family to support the armed forces more than 25 years ago, leaving behind a daughter who was only one month old at the time.

https://www.facebook.com/ne.inside/videos/716076568786754/

Basumatary served the nation valiantly for over two decades, but the life of the 98^th Battalion CRPF soldiers was nipped in the bud when his vehicle was rammed by a Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide driver with an SUV full of explosives. Basumatary is survived by a wife and two children (a daughter and a son).

The family of Basumatary, in an exclusive interaction with InsideNE, expressed how their universe shattered after the news of his martyrdom reached their ears. “We first learned about the news on Facebook, and then on television news. As per the first report, he was not included in the list (of martyrs), but as per sources on Facebook, ‘M Basumatary’ was among the listed martyrs”, said his son, Dhananjoy Basumatary.

At first, ‘news’ on Facebook had declared the death of a ‘Basumatary’ from Udalguri (which has since been proven false), but the family’s worst fears were soon to be confirmed as the day wore on. “At first we thought it was not our father, but eventually, we came to know it was him. Last night, we slept in peace after the fake story on Facebook revealing another ‘Basumatary’ as the martyr, but we were visited by reporters in the morning and the story became clear”, he added.

The sentiment of revenge is also strong with the daughter of the martyr, Diswmsri Basumatary and she has urged the Indian Government to take action against the perpetrators of the attack, the militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed.

The incident has left an indelible scar in our country and also the humble village in Assam which lost a brave warrior and most importantly, a loving father and an inspirational husband. The martyred may have left us for heavenly abode, but their stories will continue to inspire generations to come. The tremors of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Phulwara district were felt as far away as capital Srinagar, but the psychological scars that the attacks left in the collective conscious of the nation can be traced in every nook and corner.

42 soldiers were martyred on the spot, some of their bodies mangled beyond recognition. Songs of sacrifice and bravery will be sung forever in remembrance of these heroes who departed us during one of the bleakest days in memory, but it is the need of the hour to examine the lives they left behind, the brave mothers, the sons and daughters, and the wives who will now continue the legacies they have left behind.

Although many national and international personalities paid their respect to the departed souls on social media, the gravity of their absence can only be felt by their loved and dear ones.