Pregnant wife's salute, thousands in tears: Final adieu to Army commando in Haryana's Jind

JAJANWALA/JIND: A five-month pregnant Manisha Nain walked 1km up to the cremation ground, raised her hand to a salute and wept inconsolably as she bid final adieu to her 27-year-old husband Pradeep Nain in a heart wrenching ceremony in Haryana's Jind district on Monday.
Manisha was among the thousands who gathered at Jajanwala village in Narwana on the Hisar-Chandigarh national highway to pay last respects to the para commando killed in an encounter between the Army and terrorists in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Jajanwala, a village of around 3,500 people, has been in mourning for the past two days, with no one lighting their stoves. Residents fixed the national flag on the rooftop of their houses besides every corner of the village as a mark of respect to the Lance Naik. Most children did not attend school, with almost everyone standing in front of their houses raising slogans "Pradeep Nain Amar Rahe".
Some climbed atop rooftops to shower flowers on the coffin of Pardeep as it made way through the lanes to the cremation ground. The mortal remains were consigned to flames with full military honours.
The funeral was attended by politicians, social activists, district officials, army veteran associations, women, children, elderly and cabinet health minister Kamal Gupta and Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala.
"Pradeep's sacrifice will be remembered for generations to come. Such brave soldiers are born rarely. As per norms, his family will get every possible help from the govt," said Gupta.
Pradeep was the lone child of his parents, who own 1.5-acre land in the village. Apart from Pradeep, the village has 11 sent soldiers to the Army, said sarpanch Janak Singh Nain.
Jind deputy commissioner M Imran Raza, SP Sumit Kumar, civil surgeon Dr Gopal Goyal and other district officials were present at the funeral.
CM announces Rs 1 crore, job to family
Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini expressed deep grief and condolences on the martyrdom of Lance Naik Pradeep Nain of Jajanwala village of Jind district in Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
Nain was a commando in 1-Para Special Force. The CM has announced that as per the policy of the govt, an amount of Rs 1 crore and a govt job will be given to one dependent as a compassionate appointment.