Martyrs never die they live in people's hearts says brother of STF jawan killed in Naxal IED blast

Raipur, Jul 18 (PTI) The brother of the STF constable killed in an IED blast triggered by Naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district said he got the news about the death at 2am on Thursday but could not muster the courage to break it to the deceased's wife, before a steady stream of visitors at the home from early morning revealed it.
Mansaram Sahu said he managed to tell other family members that his brother Bharat Lal Sahu was no more after getting a call at 2am but could not muster the courage to speak to the latter's wife.
When people started assembling at their homes in Raipur's Mova area, the STF martyr's wife found out about the heartbreaking incident, he told PTI.
Bharat Lal Sahu (38) was among the two jawans of the Special Task Force, a specialised unit of the state police to combat Naxalism, who died when an improvised explosive device was detonated by ultras on Wednesday night in Bijapur's Tarrem area. Four personnel were injured.
Bharat, who is survived by his parents, wife, two daughters aged 11 and 8 and a 2-year-old son, as well as five brothers and two sisters is the only member of the family in the force. His father is a retired railway employee.
"He was home last month and left to resume duty on July 1-2. We had no idea this would be his last visit home. We are all in shock. I spoke to him on Tuesday evening and he had said he would be embarking on an operation and would call after returning from it," Mansaram (51) told PTI.
"However, it is said that martyrs never die. They live in the hearts of the people," said Mansaram.
"I wanted to the join the police force but could not. Bharat attended the government school here in Mova, then completed ITI and BA. He joined the Chhattisgarh Armed Force in 2007 and later switched to STF in 2009. Since then he had been fighting against Naxalites in various pockets of Bastar. He was part of multiple operations and encounters against Naxalites in the last 15 years," he said.
Recalling the pride his brother took in his work, Mansaram said the martyr would show family members police camps, forests and the landscape of Bastar on his mobile phone but never burdened them with talk of challenges and hardships one faced in the fight against Naxalites.
"The government should deal with the Naxal problem in such a way that it is eliminated permanently," an inconsolable Mansaram asserted.
The mortal remains of the jawan were brought to Raipur this evening from Jagdalpur by road and his final rites will be performed on Friday.
The last rites of Satter Singh Kange, the STF constable who died along with Sahu, was held during the day in Narayanpur.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief over the incident and said the sacrifice of the jawans will not go in vain.
The fight against Naxalism will continue till the menace is eradicated, Sai asserted.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)