He disappeared on 29 May 1984 in the Siachen glacier, administered by India and claimed by Pakistan. 38 years later, the remains of Warrior Shekhar have been found in the heart of the Himalayas. Sad news for her daughter, who was four years old when she disappeared, but has finally let her family turn the page. “He’s been gone for a long time (…) Daddy’s back, but I want him to still be alive”he said, quoted by the daily Hindustani Time.
On Tuesday, the soldier’s family received his body at their home. His widow, Shanti Devi, now 63, said military officials, people from their village and nearby areas had all come to Haldwani in northern India to pay their respects to Lance Naik Chandrashekhar Harbol, his full name. “He is our hero. As the country remembers the sacrifices of our soldiers, I believe his sacrifice will also be remembered”he says.
According to the army, Private Shekhar had been deployed as part of Operation Meghdoot (Messenger Cloud) in 1984, when India and Pakistan started fighting for control of the Siachen Glacier, in the Himalayan region of Ladakh. According to the local press, he died after being caught in an avalanche while on patrol with 20 soldiers. Fifteen bodies were found at that time, and he was one of the five missing soldiers.
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