Andhra Pradesh district mourns death of 2 soldiers in J-K

‘It was his ambition to serve the country’
A pall of gloom has engulfed the Santhabommali and Nandigam mandals in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh after two Army jawans hailing from nearby villages died in Jammu and Kashmir in the last five days. Dokkari Rajesh, 25, of Chetlathandra village died in a militant ambush in Doda on Monday, while S Jagadiswara Rao, 42, of Vallabharayudupeta village, died near Tral.

Rajesh hails from a poor family; his father D Chittiwadu is a shepherd and had barely managed to pay for his son’s schooling. The family lives in a dilapidated two-room house. “He studied till Class 10 at Dandugoplapuram and did his intermediate from Basara Degree College at Visakhapatnam. He earned his ITI diploma from Tekkali. He joined the Army in August 2018. There are many people from this region serving in the Army and it was his ambition to serve the country,’’ said Rajesh’s brother Madhusudhan.
“My father earns very little. We were totally dependent on Rajesh, who used to send home a major portion of his salary. I have just completed intermediate and was hoping to go to college, but now I may have to look for a job. Rajesh was a very caring and friendly person. Everyone in the village liked him. He came in March and that was the last time we saw him. He called from Jammu over the weekend. That was the last time I spoke to him,’’ Madhusudan said.

Sanapala Jagadishwara Rao’s funeral was held on Wednesday morning in his native village. His uncle S Kuramunaikulu said that Rao is survived by his wife Samatha, 38, and two young daughters. His parents are farmers. Samatha works at the gram sachivalaya. “He came home for the last time in April to meet his family and vote. He was a very kind man. He had served for nearly 22 years and rose to become a havildar. The details about where and how he died are very sketchy,’’ he said.

Jagishwara Rao’s elder brother Vigneshwara Rao is also in the Army and stationed in Jammu and Kashmir. “I came to know that he died in a firing incident near Tral. My brother was devoted to the Indian Army. A courageous person, he served well.
Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu, who is the MP for Srikakulam, said he had spoken to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who is in New Delhi on Wednesday to help the bereaved families. “It is tragic that two brave jawans from Srikakulam died in the last few days. We will provide all help to the families. I will meet them when I visit Srikakulam soon. I have spoken to the CM, and also requested the district collector to make arrangements for the funerals and to extend help to the families,’’ he said.

Former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed his deep grief. “I convey my condolences to the families of Sanapala Jagadeeswara Rao and Dokkari Rajesh of the Tekkali constituency of Srikakulam district and appeal to the state government to support the families in all ways,’’ he said.