Two years on, NSG martyr's family trying to pick up pieces

Mumbai: It's been two years since NSG commando Gajender Singh gave up his life fighting terrorists during the 26/11 attacks and now his family members are trying to pick up the threads of their lives again.

Singh, a specialist PARA commando of the NSG's 51 SAG assault unit, was awarded the Ashok Chakra posthumously for undertaking the daredevil 'heliborne' operation against terrorists in the Jewish residential complex Nariman House.

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He is survived by his wife and two school-going children while his mother lives with his brother here.

"It has been two years now that Gajender is not with us. The family has moved on and life is usual again. His wife and my mother are well," Singh's brother Birendra Singh said.

"I have seen that solemn remembrances are being organised in Mumbai and other places which are essential to remember and keep alive the memory of martyrs and their contribution to the country. I am happy that my brother's children are getting their schooling at the Army school here and they have been supported well by all," he said.

Singh's wife Vinita has moved to Dehradun from their village Ganeshpur after the incident to devote all her time to her children Gaurav (13) and Preeti (11).

Singh, who was on deputation to National Security Guards (NSG) from the Army's 10 PARA (Special Forces) was considered a "specialist in heliborne operations" and was killed during the operation at Nariman House on November 28 in Mumbai.

Another NSG commando, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, laid down his life during the same operation at the Taj Hotel and his father reached Mumbai today after he cycled from Delhi to the western metropolis in his memory.

The then NSG chief J K Dutt on November 30, 2008 had lauded Singh's valour and said the "terrorists opened fire on Havildar Gajendra when he was trying to get into the building to nab them. He could have easily come back but continued to advance.

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"And because of his extremely gallant action, an opening was created and we came to know from where exactly the miscreants were hiding and firing from. The terrorists had also used hand grenades which exploded apart from the heavy firing and Gajendra laid down his life there," Dutt had said.