By Purushottam Nayak

Raikia, June 17, 2020: Gloom has descended on a village in Odisha’s Kandhamal district after news spread that one of its young men had died in the violent face off between Indian and Chinese troops.

Chandrakanta Pradhan, a Catholic, was among the 20 Indian soldiers killed on June 16 at Galwan Valley in the disputed Asai Chin-Ladakh.

The 28-year-old was a native of Bearpanga village under the Our Lady of Charity Church, Raikia, a parish of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar.

Others who died with Chandrakanta are: Col B Santosh Babu, Nb Sub Nuduram Soren. Nb Sub Mandeep Singjh4, Nb Sub Satnam Singh, Hav K Palani, Hav Sunil Kumar, Hav Bipul Roy, Nk Deepak Kumar, Sep Rajesh Orang, Sep Kundan Kumar Ojha, Sep Ganesh Ram, Sep Ankush, Sep Gurbinder, Sep Gurtej Singh, Sep Chandan Kumar, Sep Kundan Kumar, Sep Aman Kumar, Sep Jai Kishore Singh and Sep Ganesh Hansda.

The body of Chandrakanta, a sepoy in 16 Bihar Regiments, is expected at his village in the morning of June 18.

His father Karunakar Pradhan said the solider was his only son and that the family had great dreams for him. Chandrakanta was the fourth among five children of Karunakar and Malti Pradhan.

When Matters India visited the village on June 17, Karunakar recalled his son saying that he would serve India for a longer period.

“But that did not happen. I believe the saying, ‘Man proposes God disposes’,” he said as tears flowed down his cheeks. “I am proud of my son because he has sacrificed his life for the nation.”

Father Pradosh Chandra Nayak, the parish priest, consoled the family reminding them the Catholic belief that death is not the end of everything.

“There is resurrection after death. The death of our brave young man definitely brings sadness to entire region. But the cause of his death has made us proud,” he told Matters India. The priest said the solider was regular to church and participated in parish activities whenever he was home for holidays.

Alima Pradhan, a woman parishioner, says Chandrakants’s “supreme sacrifice has opened a new chapter in the glorious history of Kandhamal.”

Jacob Digal, a resident of neighboring Mondakia village, recalled that the martyred soldier was “friendly with everyone. He was generous, he helped poor and needy in his life.”

He also pointed out all shops in nearby villages shut doors to express solidarity with the martyr.

Meanwhile The Hindustan Times quoted Chandrakanta’s sister Sandhayarani recalling her brother had a premonition of his death two weeks ago.

Pradhan was posted at Ladakh in February and seemed excited amid the snow-clad mountains. When he called up Sandhyarani on June 1, he told her to take care of everyone.

“He was crying over the phone and asked for forgiveness over any hurt that he may have caused to me and my younger brother. He told me to look after my younger brother and our parents. He never cries, but that day he cried and said war may start,” she added.

As TV channels started flashing the news of the killing of Indian Army personnel at Ladakh, Pradhan’s family could hardly remain calm. His father then rang his mobile phone, but no one picked up.

Hours later, when a retired army man in the neighboring village ran to Biarpanga to inform the family about the bad news coming from Ladakh, Karunakar’s heart sank.

“When he was selected for the army, I pleaded with him to not join. But he was insistent that he would join and serve the country. Just the other day, he had told me that he had flown in a chopper three times. He said 14 of his mates have been selected and all of them are flying. I told him to be careful,” said Karunakar, a marginal farmer.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced an ex-gratia of 2.5 million rupees each from chief minister’s relief fund to the next of the kin of the two Odia jawans who were killed at Galwan valley.