Major Sandeep’s town in shock

Cheruvannur, the native place of 26/11 martyr Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan near Kozhikode, is in a state of shock after receiving the news that his paternal uncle K Mohanan, who was running a shop there, has been hospitalized in Delhi following his bid for self-immolation near Parliament House on Thursday.

Relatives and neighbours said Mohanan was disturbed by the non-execution of the sentence on the terror men of Mumbai attack but they never expected him to take such a step. “We had never thought his feelings on this were so intense. He had not even told anyone about going to Delhi,” said a relative.

Relatives said Mohanan considered himself not just as Major Sandeep’s uncle but he was a great admirer of the Major. Since the Major’s death, he looked gloomy, they said. “He used to tell everybody around here about not hanging Kazab. But we never thought that restlessness was this intense,” said a relative.

Yunus, a regular customer of Mohanan’s stationery shop at Cheruvannur, said, “He was indeed disturbed about the non-execution of sentences. He used to criticize the system in the country saying that India was soft on extremists while good men sacrificed their lives to defend the country and the people. But I never expected him to do this.”

Those at Mohanan’s Kannambarath family at Madhura Bazar in Cheruvannur were petrified to see the news about him on the TV on Thursday evening. Mohanan had left home on Sunday saying that he was going to Kochi to buy some things needed for the construction of heir new home.

“Who would expect him to try something like this when the construction of his new house was nearing completion? They were to shift to the new home soon,” said a friend. “I can’t even think how the family members, who were waiting for Mohanan to come home with materials for the house, could have received the tragic news,” said a friend.

Mohanan, younger brother of Major Sandeep’s father Unnikrishnan, used to complain about the way the victims of the 26/11 terror strike were being treated by the system. “He used to say he had no hope of the victims, including Sandu (Major Sandeep), getting justice. He used to criticize the delay inherent in the system for this,” said a relative.

Another native of Cheruvannur said Mohanan was deeply distressed by the death of Sandeep. “I think he was in a way paying tributes to Sandeep when he tried to immolate himself. Perhaps, he wanted to feel the pain the Major could have felt when he was shot by he terrorists,” he said.

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