Large number of people thronged to Nehru Maidan grounds in Hubballi on Friday to pay last tributes to the soldier Hanamanthappa Koppad who breathed his last in an army hospital in New Delhi on Thursday.
A pall of gloom had descended on the city as the news of the soldier’s death spread on Thursday afternoon. Most of the people here were hopeful of Koppad miraculously recovering and walking out alive from the hospital. Special prayers were paid in the temples, mosques, churches and other places of worship seeking recovery of the soldier after he was rescued from the Siachen Glacier.
Koppad’s body was kept at Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS). The body was taken to the Nehru Stadium at 8.20 a.m. It was kept for the public view till 10.30 a.m. However, people began gathering at the stadium early in the morning. At around 7 a.m. the ground was jam packed.
People from all walks of life from Hubballi-Dharwad and surrounding areas paid their last tribute to the departed soldiers. Several families were seen coming along with their children to pay tribute to Koppad. Large number of school and college students, religious leaders and others too paid tribute on the occasion.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj H.K. Patil, Minister for Home G. Parameshwara, Union Minister for Chemical and Fertilizer Anantha Kumar, leader of opposition Jagadish Shettar and others paid tributes to Koppad. Later, his body was taken to Betadur village in Kundagol taluk for last rites.
Several organisations in the city held meeting to condole the death of the soldier. Some of the youth took out motorcycle rallies and vehicle rallies in honour of Koppad. Police had made special arrangements to felicitate the public to pay their last tributes to the departed soldier.
