JAMMU, JULY 18: The eldest among the four brothers got critically injured while fighting with the Pakistani intruders in Tiger Hills. A week later, his younger brother died on the same spot, trying to accomplish the ardous task of recapturing the pickets.And three days later, the one younger to him also joined his martyr brother by sacrificing his life in an exchange of fire in the Drass sector. Despite all these tragedies, which struck the family, one after the other, the youngest of the four brothers, Sepoy Rachpal Singh of 4 Sikh guarding the Ferozepur border stayed back on duty, manning his picket, and instead wrote a letter to his parents saying that his brothers had achieved their goals and he wants to follow in their footprints.Lying in his hospital bed, with his leg badly mangled, Havaldar Rumal Singh of 8 Sikh, who got injured while fighting a crucial battle, at the height of 16,000 feet on June 27, has no regrets over the loss of his two younger brothers. He proudly says that he belongs to afamily whose 18 members are either donning or have donned the army uniform and have been passing on a message through the generations, that the best moment in the life of a soldier is when he attains martyrdom.Rumal, when asked about his feelings, regretted that Meri hameesha rab naal aheyo shikayat rahegi ki unhanne merey badhe hon de bawajood, shahadat prapt karan da haq merey kolo chin key merey chote phrawan di choli vich pa ditta (I have only one complaint to make to God. That despite my being the eldest, God snatched the right of martyrdom from me and bestowed it on my younger brothers).A week after being admitted in the hospital, Rumal received a message, that his younger brother Naib Subedar Ravail Singh, also of 8 Sikh, has sacrificed his life, during a hand to hand fight at Tiger Hills.Hardly three days had passed, that another message poured in, this time about the death of another brother, Lance Naik Lath Singh.It is said that Naik Lath died while climbing up the hill, braving ahail of showering bullets. Despite getting badly injured he did not retreat but continued his march ahead till he lost even the last drop of his blood.Ravail Singh is survived by three sons. The eldest is 10 years-old while the youngest one is aged five. The family members, who had come to see Rumal in the hospital, narrated that when the body of Rawail arrived in his native village Makhanpur on the R S Pura border, there was hardly any gloom, as everybody was proud over the bravery shown by the sons of the soil.But, every eye was filled up with tears, the youngest son of Ravail came running and on seeing the body of his father, bent down and started saying - Papa aj tusi toffee wastey paisey nahin dogey. Tusin boldey kyon nahin, mein pichey ma no bilkul tang nahin keeta (Papa this time will you not give me money for toffees. Why are you not speaking anything. As per promise, I did not create any troubles for mother).Everybody present there tried to take away the child and somebody presentthere even gave him a ten rupee note, but the child refused to accept by saying that his father had told him not to take money from others.
