56 years after death, Malayali soldier Thomas Cherian to be laid to rest today

Thiruvananthapuram: Thomas Thomas, 73, received the body of his younger brother, ‘26-year-old’ Thomas Cherian, at Thiruvananthapuram airport, marking an emotional moment after 56 years of waiting. Cherian, a soldier from Pathanamthitta, lost his life in a military plane crash in Himachal Pradesh in 1968.

The bodies of four victims, including Cherian, were recovered last Monday following a search that began on the day of the crash. In 2019, five other bodies were found. Cherian had joined the army at the age of 18 and was serving as a craftsman in Ladakh at the time of the tragedy, which occurred while he was returning from duty.

The family endured years of uncertainty following his disappearance. Cherian’s father, O. M. Thomas, and mother, Eliamma, both passed away without knowing the fate of their son. Then, the wait fell on his three siblings. His brother Thomas Thomas reminisced about the last time he saw his brother: "I last saw him at Chengannur railway station. He came on vacation to see me off as I had got a job at BHEL in Haridwar." Even as he spoke about it, the 26-year-old man lay in the coffin, appearing as if he were still that age.

Upon arrival at the airport, Cherian’s body was received with solemn honours. Relatives, senior military officers, and government officials, including Union Minister Suresh Gopi and Health Minister Veena George, paid their respects. The body was given a guard of honour by soldiers before being transferred to the hospital mortuary at Pangode Army Camp.

On Friday morning, Cherian’s body will be taken to his hometown of Elanthoor in Pathanamthitta with a military escort. 

Funeral rites scheduled for Friday

All preparations for the funeral have been completed at Cherian’s hometown. The body will arrive at Elanthoor Market Junction at 10:30 am. A service led by Kuriakose Mar Clemis will be held at the family home at 12:15 pm, followed by a procession to St. Peter’s Orthodox Church, Karoor.

The public can pay their respects at the church from 1 pm to 2 pm. The funeral service will take place at the direction of Mar Seraphim Metropolitan. Cherian will be cremated in a specially prepared grave, with all military honours. Arrangements have been made for vehicles of priests, ministers and officials to park on the church premises, while other vehicles will be directed to a nearby school.