9-year-old lights father’s pyre after Pahalgam attack

Balasore: A speechless nine-year-old Tanuj Kumar Satpathy lit the funeral pyre of his father, Prashant, killed in the terror attack in Pahalgam, at their village in Odisha’s Balasore district Thursday morning.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, and Balasore MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi were among the hundreds of people who accompanied Tanuj from his home to the crematorium, around a kilometre away, in Ishani village in Remuna block.

Majhi met Prasahnt’s family in the morning, and spent around an hour at their house, consoling his wife Priya Darshini and elderly mother.

“I strongly condemn the incident, and the state government solidly stands with the family of Prashant Satpathy at this hour of crisis. The state will provide financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh, a job for his wife and take care of his son’s education,” he told reporters.

It was difficult for Prashant’s relatives to take the body to the crematorium as Priya Darshini did not allow anyone to touch it.

She hugged her body every now and then. The CM expressed concern over her health as she fainted while talking to him.

Prashant, 41, was an employee of the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology. He went to Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir with his wife and son on vacation.

Many people waiting on the two sides of the road to the crematorium broke down when they saw Tanuj throwing puffed rice while accompanying his father’s body as per the ritual. Overwhelmed by the situation, he was dumbfounded and just followed the directions of his elders.

Hundreds of people from far and wide had come to the crematorium to pay their respects.

Amid chants of ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Prashant Satpathy Amar Rahe’, Tanuj lit the funeral pyre of his father.

PTI

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