Twenty-six days after he was shot dead, anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was cremated in his fields on Chakerian Road in Mansa on Jattvibeday, coinciding with Diwali.The cremation was attended by a large number of people who raised slogans in his memory and pledged to carry forward his fight against drugs.The protest which started on October 13 near the Deputy Commissioner’s residence concluded on Jattvibeday. No MLA from the ruling AAP was present, but Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) leaders, including MLA Manpreet Ayali, Tarsem Khalsa and Iqbal Jhundan, were present.Jhota’s body was brought from the PGI, Chandigarh, in an ambulance. His father Bhim Singh saluted the body before the cavalcade left for Mansa.People gathered at several places along the route and showered flower petals on the ambulance. Many offered ‘siropas’, while others joined in prayers and raised slogans, including ‘Parvinder Jhota amar rahe’ and ‘Parvinder, teri soch te pehra deyaange thok ke’.A large hoarding bearing the message ‘Meri maut nu na royo, meri soch nu bachaiyo’ was placed in front of the tractor-trailer, which carried his body to the cremation site. The same message was displayed on the ambulance.Some women waiting along the route told Bhim Singh, “Your son has created history and awakened the community.”The body was also taken to the protest site and Jhota’s residence before being brought to the cremation ground.At the cremation site, several youngsters took an oath to fight against drugs and announced that committees would be formed in villages to carry forward the campaign. A paraglider was used to shower flower petals on those attending the cremation. A large police force was deployed across Mansa district.The anger against the state government and the police administration was also visible among those gathered.Bhim lit the funeral pyre, accompanied by his two grandsons. Jhota’s wife and mother were also present.Bhim thanked all those who had supported the family during its 26-day-long struggle. He, however, reiterated the demand for the transfer of Mansa SSP Vaibhav Chaudhary, citing the cases registered against youngsters who participated in the protests, and blamed him for Jhota’s killing. Bhim also ended his indefinite fast over the demand on Jattvibeday.He also criticised the Bhagwant Mann government, and thanked Pakistan Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for reportedly inviting the family to visit Sikh shrines in Pakistan.