Mumbai, May 14: A Mumbai-based couple, who had saved over Rs 1.09 lakh for a foreign vacation, decided to donate the entire amount to the family of Havildar Murali Naik—who was martyred along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir—saying they couldn’t celebrate while others mourned.
“It did not feel right to indulge in travel pleasures while families like Murali’s mourn silently,” the couple told youth platform We Are Yuvaa, days after the young soldier’s death on May 8.
Havildar Murali Naik, originally from Kallithanda village in Andhra Pradesh’s Sri Sathya Sai district, lost his life during a border skirmish amid rising tensions along the LoC. He was posted in Jammu and Kashmir when he was killed in action.
Raised in Mumbai’s Kamraj Nagar, Murali was known for his quiet determination and dream to serve in the armed forces. The only child of Sriram and Lakshmi Naik, a labourer couple who were recently displaced by redevelopment, he had returned with his parents to their ancestral village just months earlier.
“My son gave his life for the country,” Murali’s father said, standing by his son’s tricolour-wrapped coffin. “Now we are like orphans.”
On May 10, as Murali’s mortal remains arrived in Kallithanda, grief swept through the village. His funeral was held with full military honours, including a 21-gun salute. His final resting place was on the very land he had once tilled as a child.
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, who attended the last rites, called Murali “a brave son of Bharat” in his remarks and on social media.
In recognition of the soldier’s sacrifice, the Andhra Pradesh government announced an ex gratia compensation of Rs 50 lakh, five acres of agricultural land, a 300-square-yard housing site, and a government job for the family.
The Mumbai couple’s gesture added a personal dimension to the public mourning. “It’s a small tribute,” they said. “But we hope it brings some comfort to a family that gave everything.”
