The mortal remains of the four Himachali killed by ISIS in Mosul, Iraq victims reached their native place and were cremated on Tuesday.
The lure of ‘abroad’ and lack of employment in their home-land claimed their lives.
Of the four youths, three Aman Kumar, Inderjeet and Sandeep Kumar were from Kangra district while the fourth Hem Raj was from Mandi district. The grief-stricken families performed the last rites amidst the gathering of the relatives and villagers.
On behalf of the state government Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Kishan Kapoor and Kangra Deputy Commissioner Kangra Sandeep Kumar received the the mortal remains four Himachali at Amritsar International Airport on Monday.
The mortal remains were kept at the mortuary in Dr Rajinder Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, Kangra and government hospital Nurpur before handing over to the families on Tuesday morning.
The families advised not to open the coffins and to cremate the bodies within the coffin as the mortal remains had been exhumed from the graves and might emit toxic gases which could be dangerous.
“I am thankful to the government as owing to their efforts I at least got the remains of my son and could perform his last rites here in his ancestral home,” said Ramesh Chand, father of the deceased Aman Kumar from Dharamshala.
Poverty and the unfortunate death of her son Indrajeet has made his mother paralytic and bed ridden.
“We waited four years for our son’s safe arrival, but he did arrive, that too in a coffin, after such a long time. We have lost everything,” lamented Pardesi Ram, father of Indrajeet.
The solitary bread earner Sandeep Kumar has left his family of five to fend for themselves. He is survived with his wife, two children and his old parents.
“Hum ne apne bache ko Iraq kyun bheja. Us desh ne hamare bache ko kha liya, (Why we allowed our child to go to Iraq. That country has devoured our son),” grieved his grandmother, Tara Devi.