Arunachal honours IAF corporal martyred in Pahalgam attack with Rs 50L ex gratia

Itanagar, Sept 8: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu handed over ex gratia of Rs 50 lakh to Charo Kamhua, the widow of Corporal Tage Hailyang, who was killed in the Pahalgam terror attack.

Khandu, who arrived in Ziro in Lower Subansiri district on Sunday evening for the “Cabinet Aapke Dwar” programme, handed over the compensation amount in recognition of the army officer's bravery.

Corporal Hailyang, who hailed from Tajang village in Lower Subansiri district, was among the 26 victims of the terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22 this year.

"He (Corporal Hailyang) selflessly guided tourists to safety, demonstrating courage and dedication beyond measure," Khandu wrote in a social media post.

"We remember his courage and offer our heartfelt respect to his wife, father, and entire family, who have borne this immense loss with dignity and strength," he added.

State Agriculture Minister Gabriel D Wangsu, Chief Secretary Manish Kumar Gupta and senior district officials were present at the event.

Indian Air Force corporal Hailyang, 30, who was serving at an IAF base in Srinagar, was on holiday with his wife when militants of The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) proxy, gunned down 26 people, including him, on April 22.

His brother, Tage Mali, an Army personnel currently posted in Srinagar, recalled that Hailyang had joined the IAF eight years ago after graduating in humanities and had married only in December last year.

As a mark of the state’s gratitude, Chief Minister Khandu, on April 24, had announced that one member of Hailyang’s family would be offered a government job, along with financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh. A permanent memorial will also be constructed in his native village in his honour.

PTI