‘All can see where we stand': Message to the nation by fallen hero Havildar Jhantu Sheikh's father
'He would cycle 14 km every day from his village to mine,' recalled his childhood friend Ayanangsha Maitra, speaking to ThePrint. 'Where we come from, poverty buries most ambitions. Joining the Army, let alone the Special Forces, was almost unthinkable. But Jhantu followed his brother's footsteps and broke through. His enlistment made him a local hero, yet he stayed humble. He was eagerly planning a trip home for Bakrid this June.'
Hailing from Pathar Gatta, a modest village near the Bangladesh border, Sheikh grew up in poverty as the son of a farmer struggling to make ends meet. From his school days at Bara Andulia High School under Chapra subdivision in Nadia district, Jhantu stood out in school— tall, fit and fiercely patriotic.
New Delhi: Havildar Jhantu Ali Sheikh of 6 Para Special Forces of the Army was laid to rest Saturday with full military honours in his village in Nadia district, West Bengal. Three thundering shots echoed through the air, drawing the attention of thousands of villagers, including farmers, shopkeepers and schoolchildren, who gathered in the dusty streets, fervently chanting 'Hindustan Zindabad!' as Subedar Rafiqur Ali Sheikh, Jhantu's elder brother and a serving soldier with 28 years of service in the Army, carried the flag-draped coffin alongside members of the Army.
Maitra, who also spoke with Jhantu's grieving parents, shared that his father's words were simple yet powerful: 'After my son's death, everyone can see where we stand.'
Sheikh graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from Baba Ambedkar College. An official from the Army informed ThePrint that Sheikh was inducted into the 6 Para SF, one of the Army's finest units, at the age of 19.
Just six weeks ago, he had been home, celebrating his daughter's sixth birthday, a brief moment of joy before he returned to duty for the last time.
Sheikh, 36, lost his life in the Dudu-Basantgarh region of Udhampur district Thursday during an exchange of gunfire with terrorists suspected to be affiliated with the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The same outfit is believed to be responsible for the brutal attack earlier this week in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 25 tourists and one local Kashmiri Ponywallah, who tried to save them, were killed.
Late Friday night, the remains of Shaheed Jhantu Sheikh were flown from Kashmir to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata aboard a military aircraft. Firhad Hakim, the Urban Development Minister of West Bengal, paid a floral tribute as a gathering at the airport chanted, 'Bharat Matar Veer Santan Jhantu Sheikh amar rahe' (India's brave heart Jhantu Sheikh will live forever in our hearts).
At Jhantu's funeral, Subedar Rafiqur Ali Sheikh paid tribute to his brother's courage, affirming: 'The Indian Army has no religion. It stands united—Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs are all serving shoulder to shoulder. Let no one dare tag it otherwise. We are proud of his sacrifice and he avenged our Hindu brothers and gave his life for the nation.'
Sheikh is survived by his widow, Sahana and their two young children. To ensure continuity in schooling, the family resides at an army cantonment in Agra.
Recalling the last message she received from her husband, Sahana told reporters, 'He said he was going to call me the next day. I never thought I would see him this way.'
Sahana explained that early Thursday morning, she had received a text from Sheikh, informing her that he would be busy with work and would call her back the following day.
On Saturday morning, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached out to the family to express her condolences and instructed officials in Nadia district to expedite medical and financial support for Sheikh's elderly parents. Subsequently, prominent figures from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), including Mahua Moitra, made a visit to Pathar Gatta, where they laid wreaths and expressed their commitment to support his family.
In an interview with ThePrint, Moitra highlighted the depth of his sacrifice: 'Just two days after the targeted killings in Pahalgam, he, a Muslim soldier, laid down his life for fellow Indians. That is the spirit of India and that is the ethos of the Indian Army.'
Adding, 'His entire family serves the nation; his brother and sister-in-law are both in uniform. His martyrdom is a powerful reminder that the Army doesn't see religion and neither should India.'
Moitra also said that when she met Jhantu's grieving parents, 'their pride was unmistakable through their pain'.
The Army will extend full support to the family and if his wife chooses to relocate from Agra, we are committed to ensuring their children get quality education and care, said Moitra.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
Also Read: Hid behind toilet, saw massacre: Pahalgam eyewitness narrates how off-duty Army man led 30 to safety
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