The Hindu : 'Is this response I receive for my son's sacrifice'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 02, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

'Is this response I receive for my son's sacrifice'

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD Aug. 1. A pall of gloom descended on the residence of Rapolu Veera Raja Reddy (26), who was killed in a grenade attack by militants in Jammu and Kashmir, at Street No. 8 in Ramanthapur on Thursday.

The news plunged members of the family, relatives, friends and neighbours of Captain Raja Reddy into grief. His father, Kondal Reddy, an employee of Sabnife Ltd, became nervous when he read about yesterday's attack in newspapers this morning. He tried to contact his son's regiment in Rajouri town and came to know about his son's demise when it was announced in an afternoon news bulletin on a regional channel.

Raja Reddy was the only son of Mr. Kondal Reddy and Pushpa and was married to Varsha, a resident of Nallakunta, on May 5 this year. He had two sisters. He was supposed to be transferred to Amritsar this December. Mr. Kondal Reddy was visibly upset when some military officials reportedly expressed `inability' to send Raja Reddy's body back to the city.

It is learnt that the officials asked Mr. Kondal Reddy to come to Rajouri to perform the funeral. ``I will perform the ritual with my son's photo but will not go there to perform funeral. Is this the response I receive for the sacrifice made by my son,'' a weeping Mr. Kondal Reddy bemoaned.

The last phone call from Raja Reddy was received by his mother just two days back. He called to inform her about his safety following a shoot-out in Anantnag. He came to the city on July 1 when an open heart surgery was performed on his father and he returned to Jammu on July 10.

Born on September 22, 1977, Raja Reddy studied up to 10th class in Taxashila Public School of Lalapeta and completed Intermediate from Little Flower Junior College of Ramanthapur. As his ambition of an IIT seat did not materialise, he appeared for the National Defence Academy examination in 1994. He passed and was graduated from the academy in December 1997.

Raja Reddy was appointed Lieutenant in 1998 after completion of training in the Indian Military Academy and promoted as Captain in December 2000. Raja Reddy's parents are natives of Saidapur village of Yadagirigutta mandal in Nalgonda district and have settled in Ramanthapur.

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