Eight months after he had left his home in Punjab’s Ludhiana and gone to Russia in search of a livelihood, Samarjeet Singh, 21, returned home Friday, in a coffin.
Samarjeet had been “forcibly and fraudulently recruited in Russian Army” and sent to the frontline in the country’s war with Ukraine war, without training, his family alleged.
The family had last spoken to him in September last year. His mortal remains reached Delhi airport Thursday, and he was cremated Friday in his hometown Ludhiana.
During the cremation, relatives briefly wrapped the coffin in the Tricolour. His father Charanjit Singh later said the family removed it after someone pointed out that Samarjeet had been serving in the Russian Army.
“My son is a martyr…even though he died fighting in Russian Army. We were expecting a Russian flag in the coffin, but there was none. They, however, sent his uniform and boots, which we will preserve as his last memory. We have also received his death certificate,” said Charanjit.
The grieving father, who runs a small grocery store in Mohalla Amarpuri in Ludhiana’s Daba area, said Samarjeet had left for Russia in July last year after completing Class 12 and securing a diploma as an X-ray technician. He had previously worked in private hospitals in Ludhiana.
“He told us that he was being recruited as an assistant to a doctor in the Russian Army,” said the inconsolable father.
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According to the family, a local agent sent him to Russia promising him a non-combat role assisting Army doctors.
“He was fraudulently pushed to fight the war and handed weapons,” said Charanjit.
Videos of Samarjeet and other men from Punjab, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir in Russian Army uniforms had surfaced on social media in September last year. In the videos, they appealed to Indian authorities for rescue, claiming they had been sent to the frontline after being lured with promises of well-paying jobs.
In one such message, Samarjeet said they had been brought to Russia on the “pretext of well paying jobs” but were made to fight that country’s war.
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Charanjit said he became worried after seeing his son in combat uniform during a video call. “When I saw him wearing the combat uniform in a video call, I questioned him about his job profile, to which he said that we should not worry. He said that he, along with other men, was being taken for training, but I knew something was wrong. I warned him to strictly focus on his studies or return home if things were unclear,” he said.
The father said he had borrowed Rs 10 lakh and mortgaged land to send his son abroad, hoping he would support the family financially.
He also alleged that the family sought help from authorities after Samarjeet went missing but received no response.
“Since the time when he went missing in war zone in September last year, we knocked at every door for help but no politician did anything. From Prime Minister’s Office to Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu, from Punjab Cabinet ministers to local AAP MLAs, I ran from pillar to post urging the governments to save my son, but we never got any response,” he said.
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In his last video message, Samarjeet had sent an SOS on social media appealing that they be rescued.
“Had the governments back home done some work and given jobs to youths, my son would have not gone abroad at all. He went because our financial condition was very poor and he wanted to do something for the family,” said Charanjit.
The father said there was no word from Russian Army or governments in Punjab and at Centre on any compensation.
“Russians at least sent the body back home…but none of our politicians have even condoled my son’s passing,” Charanjit said.
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Issuing a warning to other families, Charanjit said: “I appeal to everyone else.. please don’t send your children abroad via travel agents who promise job, money.. it’s all fraud. No matter what is your financial condition, don’t send your children abroad. I have lost my everything.”
