Kochi: A pall of gloom descended over Odanavattom in Kottarakkara as the news broke yesterday about the martyrdom of Sepoy Vaishakh H, 24. The young braveheart laid down his life for the nation fighting terrorists at the Poonch sector in Kashmir during combing operations. His mortal remains is expected to be flown in tomorrow.
Vaisakh had joined Army as a 19-year-old. After his training in Maharashtra, he served in Punjab before getting transferred to the valley. He last visited his village to attend his grandmother’s funeral. He was a jawan with the 16 Rashtriya Rifles battalion of the 22nd Mechanical Department. Vaisakh was among five Army personnel in the encounter.
His friends and relatives remember him as a vibrant young man who was keen on serving the nation and was always jubilant meeting friends in the village during vacation.
The army offered last respect to the heroes at Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir. With Vaisakh martyrdom, the family has lost its only breadwinner. His father Harikumar lost his job at a private firm in Kochi during Covid-19. Vaisakh is also survived by his mother Beena Kumari and younger sister Shilpa.
Vaisakh’s family friend and local panchayat member K Ramani said Vaisakh’s wedding was been fixed a year ago, but he had put it off to see Shilpa getting married before his wedding.
The member of the civic body added that the parents had put in everything into educating the two children. The five cents and a small house they owned had been sold to meet the educational expenses. It was only last month that they had moved into a new house, constructed with Vaisakh’s savings and bank loans, said Ramani who had taken part in the housewarming.
