Hundreds bid emotional farewell to Siachen bravehearts

Hundreds of people on Tuesday bid an emotional farewell to Siachen bravehearts G Ganesan and S Kumar, whose last rites were performed with full state honours at Chokkathevanpatti in Madurai and Kumanan Kuzhu in Theni districts respectively.

While Sepoy Ganesan, 25, was cremated at Chokkathevanpatti, Havildar Kumar, 37, was buried at Kumanankuzhu.

The atmosphere at the funeral was highly emotional with friends, relatives and locals bidding tearful farewell.

District Collectors of Madurai and Theni -- Veeraraghava Rao and Venkatachalam respectively -- handed over cheques of Rs 10 lakh each to the bereaved families, the aid announced by the state government.

The government has also assured job to one family member of the two deceased soldiers.

Ganesan, Kumar and eight other soldiers, including Havildar M Elumalai of Vellore and Sepoy N Ramamurthy from Krishnagiri of Tamil Nadu, got buried in snow after an avalanche hit their high-altitude post in Siachen glacier in Ladakh on February 3.

One of them, Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, found alive under the snow, also died on February 11 after battling for life.

Image: Jawans of the Madras Regiment pay homage to their fallen comrades. Photograph: PTI