Mortal remains of Lance Naik Chandrashekhar Harbol, found in the Siachen glacier after 38 years, were brought back to his home in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani on Wednesday. The jawan had gone missing in the glacier, the world’s highest battlefield, in an avalanche on May 29, 1984, during Operation Meghdoot.
In a video shared by news agency, the deceased’s remains could be seen wrapped in the national flag with men in uniform carrying the coffin amid chants of Jai Hand and Vande Mataram.
Harbol’s family was expected to receive his remains on Tuesday. His widow, Shanti Devi, 63, said officials, people from their village and nearby areas are all coming to Haldwani. “He is our hero. As the country is remembering the sacrifices of our soldiers, I am sure his sacrifice will also be remembered,” she said.
Devi said her mind went blank and she could barely utter a word when officials informed her about the body of Harbol being found in an old bunker in Siachen. “We performed his tarpan (the offering of water to the dead) and I dedicated my life to raising my children. Despite many hurdles and challenges, I raised my children as a proud mother and a brave wife of a martyr,” Devi added.
The couple had two daughters, Kavita and Babita.
Harbol originally hailed from Binta village in Almora district’s Ranikhet region. He joined the Kumaon Regiment in 1971, which was part of a five-member patrol team when an avalanche hit. Neither his nor the bodies of the other four members of the regiment could be found at the time. The regiment was part of India’s pre-emptive measures to stop Pakistan from getting hold of strategic areas in Siachen in April 1984 as part of Operation Meghdoot.