Final Salute to Slain Para Commando Jhantu Ali Sheikh in Tehatta Of Nadia

Tehatta, April 26: Para Commando Jhantu Ali Sheikh returned to his native village of Patharghata in Nadia on Saturday morning, his body sealed in a coffin, his final homecoming marked by grief and pride. The 37-year-old hawaldar’s mission to defend the motherland ended on Wednesday when he was killed during a counter-insurgency operation in Udhampur, Kashmir.

Security officials said the encounter broke out during a cordon and search operation in the Dudu-Basantgarh area, following intelligence inputs on terrorist presence.

At dawn, the narrow lanes of Patharghata filled with mourners as Jhantu’s mortal remains arrived, escorted by army officers. His elder brother, Subedar Rafiqul Sheikh of the artillery regiment, walked beside the coffin, his face a portrait of sorrow. Under a makeshift canopy at the local Idga ground, thousands gathered, many wiping tears, to bid farewell to the soldier they had watched grow up among them.

Rafiqul, a 28-year army veteran, struggled to compose himself while offering floral tributes to his brother’s coffin. “It is an honor to die on the battlefield,” he said. “But to be killed by terrorists inside our own country is unacceptable. Those sponsoring terror across the border must be made to pay.” Speaking to reporters, he added, “We soldiers have no religion. The Indian Army stands united—Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs together. For us, the nation always comes first, family next.”

Jhantu, who had joined the 6 SF Para Commando unit in 2008, held duty as a form of worship, believing that a soldier’s faith was loyalty to the nation alone. His brother’s words found an echo among the villagers, who raised demands for a strong response to terrorism.

Jhantu’s body had landed at Dumdum airport late Friday night around 10.30 pm, and was kept overnight at the Barrackpore Army Base Hospital morgue. Early Saturday, after a ceremonial guard of honor, the final journey home began. By 9.25 am, the coffin reached Patharghata. After religious rites were performed at his residence, barely 200 meters from the Idga ground, the coffin was brought back for a public prayer service.

Among those offering tributes were Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, party leaders Rukbanur Rahaman and Tapas Saha, and CPM leaders Satarup Ghosh and SM Sadi. At around 12.15 pm, Rafiqul, joined by three fellow soldiers, lifted the coffin onto his shoulders to lead the final procession to the burial ground.

“Islam never preaches the killing of innocents.” – Sahana Ali Sheikh, Wife of Jhantu Ali Sheikh

Jhantu’s wife Sahana, battling tears, added her voice to the demand for justice. “Terrorists may claim to be Muslim, but they do not respect their faith,” she said. “Islam never preaches the killing of innocents. I appeal to the government to act firmly so no more children lose their fathers as mine have.” A mother of a son and daughter, she said she still struggled to accept that her husband would never again return home.

Meanwhile, the absence of any prominent BJP leaders at the funeral raised eyebrows among locals. Nadia North BJP president Arjun Biswas had visited the family on Friday, but no senior BJP figures were seen on Saturday. Biswas later said, “Our local workers were there. But Mahua Moitra and her team managed everything, which left our workers discouraged. Moreover, we have little organizational presence in this minority-dominated area. Nevertheless, a team from our minority wing, led by Charles Nandy, will meet the family on Sunday.”

Controversy deepened after an audio clip of Biswas’s telephonic conversation with a party worker surfaced, where he allegedly said the party did not prioritize the funeral because “there are no votes” in the village.

BJP MP and spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya responded, “It is true that no known BJP faces were present today, but that does not mean we lack respect for the martyr. Our local workers paid their respects, and a team will visit the family. We have always stood by our soldiers, irrespective of their religion. Attempts to politicize the issue ignore the larger threat of terrorism, which today targets all communities alike.”