JALANDHAR : A marathon’s starting gun often got Fauja Singh going. Guns went off on Sunday too, those of Punjab police at a funeral with full state honours for the 114-year-old whose never-say-die spirit was cut short by an SUV’s fatal knock last week.
Hundreds of admirers, locals and luminaries descended on Fauja’s native village of Beas near Jalandhar as sons Sukhjinder Singh and Harvinder Singh lit the pyre. The VIPs included governor Gulab Chand Kataria, chief minister Bhagwant Mann and other politicians across party lines. Fauja’s body was placed in a glass casket earlier in the day, allowing many to pay their final respects. It was later carried in a hearse to the village cremation ground where a Punjab police contingent offered a ceremonial gun salute.
In a message to Harvinder, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the “extraordinary” Fauja’s passing had left a void “that can never be filled”. “Fauja Singh Ji became the first centenarian to complete the marathon successfully. That he took up long-distance running at a very advanced age speaks volumes not only for his physical fitness but, more importantly, his mental strength and resilience,” Prime Minister Modi wrote in his message.
Governor Kataria echoed the theme, calling Fauja a global inspiration as he recalled walking with him during an anti-drugs campaign only a few months ago. “His stamina and spirit were unmatched,” Kataria said.
Mann announced that the local govt school would be renamed in Fauja’s honour and his statue installed at the village stadium and a sports college in Jalandhar. “He brought international recognition not only to Punjab but also to the Sikh community,” the chief minister said.
The centenarian athlete died on July 14 after being struck by a speeding SUV as he was crossing a highway near Beas on way to a roadside eatery named after his late son, Kuldeep. Amritpal Singh Dhillon, 26, a Canada-based NRI visiting nearby Dasupur village, was later arrested on charges of culpable homicide and rash driving.
Hundreds of admirers, locals and luminaries descended on Fauja’s native village of Beas near Jalandhar as sons Sukhjinder Singh and Harvinder Singh lit the pyre. The VIPs included governor Gulab Chand Kataria, chief minister Bhagwant Mann and other politicians across party lines. Fauja’s body was placed in a glass casket earlier in the day, allowing many to pay their final respects. It was later carried in a hearse to the village cremation ground where a Punjab police contingent offered a ceremonial gun salute.
In a message to Harvinder, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the “extraordinary” Fauja’s passing had left a void “that can never be filled”. “Fauja Singh Ji became the first centenarian to complete the marathon successfully. That he took up long-distance running at a very advanced age speaks volumes not only for his physical fitness but, more importantly, his mental strength and resilience,” Prime Minister Modi wrote in his message.
Governor Kataria echoed the theme, calling Fauja a global inspiration as he recalled walking with him during an anti-drugs campaign only a few months ago. “His stamina and spirit were unmatched,” Kataria said.
Mann announced that the local govt school would be renamed in Fauja’s honour and his statue installed at the village stadium and a sports college in Jalandhar. “He brought international recognition not only to Punjab but also to the Sikh community,” the chief minister said.
The centenarian athlete died on July 14 after being struck by a speeding SUV as he was crossing a highway near Beas on way to a roadside eatery named after his late son, Kuldeep. Amritpal Singh Dhillon, 26, a Canada-based NRI visiting nearby Dasupur village, was later arrested on charges of culpable homicide and rash driving.
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