Martyr’s family demand compensation

Goverdhan (Mathura district): Family members of martyr Samod Singh, who died battling terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir on October 28, on Sunday stage a dharna demanding dignified response and financial reward.
Samod’s elder brother Pramod Singh, 28-year-old wife Seema Singh, their parents and a few relatives staged a dharna in Bhavanpura village under Goverdhan police station.In the morning Goverdhan SHO Goverdhan called on the family to persuade them to give up the idea, as “whatever was necessary had been done.”
But family member Raghvendra Singh, who is also an advocate, told TOI that neither the state nor the central government thought it fit to send a representative to the funeral.
The district magistrate Rajesh Kumar was present, but the state should have sent a special representative, he said. “Samod was a hero. He died gallantly fighting terrorists who had rewards on their heads. This is no way of respecting martyrs. If a senior minister or a representative had come, it would have sent the right signal and motivated youngsters in the area to join the armed forces. But they did not bother to give him a fitting tribute.”
“Nobody in the family or the village is happy,” said Bachchu Singh, father of Samod Singh.