It was only a few days prior to his killing at the treacherous Galwan Valley along the India-China border that K Pazhani was dearly missed at home.
On June 3, his family had gathered to celebrate the completion of construction of the house they would all move in together soon and Pazhani’s 40th birthday.
The soldier had visited him home at Kadukkaliyur in the southern district of Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu in January this year. He had made plans to return for the family’s housewarming ceremony, but in a call in the first week of June, he said there were “problems.”
As is the norm for almost every jawan serving in the border, Pazhani, a havildar in the Army, had revealed very little to his family about all that was going on in the valleys of Eastern Ladakh.
His wife Vanathi Devi said Pazhani only told her that had a new assignment and that it was not possible for him to come home any time soon.
Probed a little, he said: “Things are getting problematic here…”
As the television camera crew focus on the visibly devastated Devi, Pazhani’s son, 10, and daughter, 8, continue to play outside their home oblivious of the tragedy that has struck them. Pazhani has a younger brother who is also in the Army. It was he who informed other members about Pazhani’s death.
Their aging parents had been anxiously waiting for Pazhani to return home. However, this had been the case for over two decades now. His father, Kalimuthu, had a near-permanent plea with Pazhani to retire soon and come back to the village for good.
A farmer’s son, Pazhani had been smitten by the Indian Army even as a teenager and had joined the forces when he was only 18. After studying in the village school till class 5, he moved to Tiruchendur in Thoothukudi district for higher studies.
“He was a BA graduate… an intelligent guy. He had been with the Indian Army for over 21 years now. He wasn’t able to come for the house warming ceremony. He felt bad for that… He had promised to come home next year…”
Going down in history as one of the bravest souls having achieved martyrdom in what one of the rare violent faceoffs with China, Pazhani used to frequently talk about a vow – that his son Prasanna should become an Army man too, but with a much higher rank than himself.
Pazhani would be laid to rest with full state honours in his hometown on Wednesday.
(With inputs from Veerakumaran P)
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