Army presumed him dead,‘kin believe’ Rifleman Dass alive in Pakistan jail

It has been 11 years since Gopal Dass went missing on August 24,2000 and was later “presumed dead” by the army authorities and all the benefits of his service,including job to one of his brother on compassionate grounds was extended to his family members. However,his family still waits for him to return.

Every time the family learns about Indian prisoners being repatriated from Pakistan,at least one of the family members reaches the Attari border to get a clue about Dass,who was 23 and unmarried when he went missing.

Holding a bunch of his photographs,Dass’ brother Mohinder Kumar reached out to the Indian prisoners who return from Attari border on Thursday. He travelled five hours by bus to reach the Attari border,but was dejected when none of the returned Indian prisoners could identify Dass.

“Whenever we learn that Indian prisoners are being repatriated back from Pakistan,someone from the family reaches the Attari border,” Mohinder told The Indian Express,sifting through the pages of a file that contains communiques from army authorities on different dates ever since Dass went missing.

Mohinder was given a job of Nursing Orderly (NO) on compassionate grounds after army authorities declared that “Gopal Dass has been presumed for official purpose to have been killed in action on August 24,2000 in Operation Rakshak”.

“But,the Indian army personnel in Dass’ regiment told us that the Pakistani army personnel used to tease them saying that dass was in their custody,” said Mohinder. “The Pakistani soldiers used to tell the Indian soldiers that Gopal had four brothers and one of them had got married last year only,” Mohinder recalled,adding that such details also corroborated the belief that Gopal had been taken hostage by the Pakistan. “It was I who got married in December 1999 and the reference by the Pakistani soldier was towards me,” Mohinder said.

“We want Gopal with us. We know he is alive and is in Pakistan. The moment he returns,I would quit the job given to me on compassionate grounds,” said Mohinder.

While brothers of Dass continue to look for clues,their mother,Satya Devi,has firm belief that he is still alive. “Siane bande kehnde ne ki mera larka zinda hai par kise de kabze vich hai (Learned persons assure me that my son is alive,but is in the custody of someone),” Devi said over phone from Chhan Rorian,Dass’ native village in Jammu and Kashmir. “We are waiting for him to return,” she added.

“We are 100 per cent sure that Gopal is alive and is in Pakistan,” said Jugal Kishore,another brother of Gopal.

The officials of Pakistan army had tried to pass off the body of an unidentified person as that of Dass on August 30,2000. The maggot-infested body did not match the description and physical parameters of Dass,who was shorter in height than that of the body. Also the distinguishing marks of Dass were also found absent on the body.