Solapur/Nanded (Maharashtra), Dec 1 (IANS) Major Kunal M. Gosavi and Lance Naik Sambhaji Y. Kadam, who were killed in Tuesday's terror strike in Jammu and Kashmir, were cremated with full military honours at their native villages on Thursday.
Gosavi, 32, of Wakhri village of Pandharpur in Solapur and Kadam, 35, of Janapur village in Nanded, were among seven Indian soldiers killed in the terror strike that morning.
The officer is survived by his wife, parents and four-year-old daughter Umang, who lit his funeral pyre this afternoon.
Similarly, Kadam's three-year old daughter Tejasvini lit her father's funeral pyre helped by her grieving relatives, late this evening.
Over 50,000 people turned up for the last rites in both the districts, along with several army officers and jawans, representatives of the state government, legislators, district police officers and local social groups.
Cries hailing their martyrdom as 'Major Kunal Gosavi Amar Rahe', 'Jawan Sambhaji Kadam Amar Rahe' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' rent the air as their funeral corteges were brought to open public grounds in their village this afternoon.
Gosavi had come home for a month's vacation and left to join duty last Saturday. He was seen off at Pune by his mother Vrunda Gosavi who later stayed back with her elder son.
Early on Tuesday morning Major Gosavi was sleeping at his home in Jammu when the terrorists struck.
Born in Wakhri village near the the world famous temple town of Pandharpur in March 1983, Gosavi was educated here. He graduated from the Brihan Maharashtra Commerce College (BMCC).
Hailing from a very poor family of Nanded, Kadam was born in Janapur village and joined the Indian Army as a soldier in 2001.
He is survived by his parents - a security guard father and a domestic labourer mother, wife Sakhubai and three year old daughter Tejasvini, all living in Pune.
Posted in the Fifth Maratha Light Infantry, Kadam had sought a posting in Jammu and Kashmir for joining the fight against cross-border terror. He was due to retire around 2018.
