Karnataka - Madikeri   

The memory of their son still haunts them

The parents of Singur Medappa, Singur Kuttappa amd Ammavva.

Madikeri: For the aged parents of Singur Medappa, who died fighting the enemies in Kargil 10 years ago, no word of solace would calm them down. They have simply lived with Medappa’s memory on the presumption that the Union or the State Governments would extend financial help to build a tomb for the martyr at their village in Igoor in Somwarpet taluk of Kodagu, which has not happened for the last one decade.

“Medappa was wounded in the conflict on May 4 (1999) and he died on May 31,” said Singur Kuttappa with tears welling up in his eyes. Mr. Kuttappa and his wife, Ammavva, both aged and infirm, were at the Deputy Commissioner’s office here to meet the official to narrate their woes to him. Mr. Kuttappa said that Medappa’s wife Parvathi had not turned up at his house for the last 10 years, but has taken all benefits due to her husband. “It could have run into nearly a crore [rupees],” he said.

The Kodagu District Journalists Association had collected donation from the public for the kin of martyrs from Kodagu who died in the Kargil conflict. “We have received funds only from you (journalists),” Mr. Kuttappa recalls the ordeal.

Incidentally, Mr. Kuttappa and his wife were here to urge the Deputy Commissioner to provide the Rs. 5 lakh grant announced by the State Government to them to build a tomb to perpetuate the memory of their son. “I will keep an account of the expenditure relating to the construction of the tomb and if there is balance, I will hand it back to the district administration,” he said.

The district administration did not think it fit to organise a function to salute the martyrs on the occasion of 10 years of Kargil victory, though some organisations here and outside Madikeri did organise functions to pay respects to the dead soldiers.

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