Daijiworld Media Network - Mandya (SP)

Mandya, Feb 17: The ashes of H Guru from Gudigere Colony in Maddur taluk of the district, who was one among the soldiers who were martyred in a terrorist attack at Pulwama in Kashmir last year, are yet to be discharged into holy rivers. The ashes are waiting to be immersed since a year.

Veteran BJP leader S M Krishna, through a letter addressed to chief minister, B S Yediyurappa, has drwn his attention to the fact that Pulwama attack was the worst ever terror attack in the history of the country, and the hearts of all the Indians had throbbed for those soldiers who were killed in the unfortunate attack. He condemned the failure of the district administration in immersing Guru's ashes even after a year and that this inaction has come in for criticism of the people.

"Cauvery Neeravari Nigam was formed when I was the chief minister. Through this corporation, memorial tomb for the deceased soldier should be built forthwith, and a programme to commemorate the sacrifice of the soldier should be organized," Krishna has urged.

District deputy commissioner Dr M V Venkatesh, said that the ashes could not be discharged so far as a tomb has not come up at the spot where the funeral was performed. He said that for the present, the zilla panchayat engineering department will build a memorial at the spot. Thereafter, ashes would be immersed and a proposal would be put up seeking special grant for the construction of the memorial," he added.

A villager said that the ashes of Guru have been preserved in a gunny bag at his residence at Gudigere Colony.

Guru's wife, Kalavathi, came to the spot of the funeral on Sunday and performed first year's memorial service in honour of her departed husband. Guru's parents had performed the memorial service on Friday, February 14, the date on which the soldier was martyred last year.