Grief was overshadowed by vows of hitting back against Pakistan today as the body of rifleman Linchon Pradhan, a Gorkha soldier killed in Kargil on June 8, was consigned to flames in his remote village in the Darjeeling hills. Moments after wiping his eyes dry as the fires consumed the body of his 25-year-old son, Hari Narayan Pradhan, a teacher, said: ?Now my younger son Anzima will go to the Army.? It is no wonder that soldiering is in the Gorkha?s blood. And mourning in this backward village, where each family has somebody in the armed forces, was shortlived. No one, thus, was surprised when Renu Chhetry, a neighbour, soon after the cremation said: ?What a fortunate person Linchon was. What a sendoff he got. It?s complete with the six-gun salute from the Army.? It was no doubt a sad moment for her. ?But I feel more proud. He gave his life for the country. Pakistan should be wiped out,? she said. Most houses here have no electricity and the roads are not motorable. It takes an hour-and-a-half of trekking to reach the nearest health centre and primary school. For the villagers, depravation and physical hardship is part of life. Linchon?s colleague from the 1/11 Gorkha Rifles, Anand Pradhan, brought his body from the front. Linchon was shattered by a Pakistani shell near Tiger Hill in Kargil. Yet, Hari Narayan Pradhan and his neighbours showed streaks of patriotism found in most Gorkha villagers. ?I feel terribly sad inside, but I cannot cry. How else will I console my wife and daughter?? he said. Three of Linchon?s cousins and maternal uncle are serving in Kashmir. His paternal uncle K.N. Pradhan saw action in the 1965 and 1971 wars. Pradhan?s son Suren is also in the Army. A host of village youth like Rajai Rai, Avinash Chettry, Roman Pradhan and Pranesh Rai vowed to join the armed forces. One of them said: ?Fresh recruitment will begin again in Kurseong and Darjeeling on June 16 and all of us will join the Army. Please help us if you can.? It could mean death. Linchon had to die in the warfront. ?Don?t you know that all of us have to die someday?? Avinash asked. J.K. Rai, an old villager added: ?If they fail in physical tests, they will become peasants like us.? Former soldiers too, offered, to rejoin the Army. After the cremation, local Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) head, former subedar Y.D. Lama appealed to the villagers to send as many youngsters as possible to the recruitment centres. CPRM general secretary R.B. Rai sought proper care and compensation for families of war heroes. GNLF councillor from Naoybhanjyang Sukhipokhari N.K. Kumai, who attended the cremation said: ?This is not the time to cry. As a martial race, we want to send more people to the Army.? He announced that the Gorkha Hill Council would offer Linchon?s wife Kabita a job and the bereaved family Rs 10,000. He also hoped the government would honour all martyrs from the hills.