Year on, scars of Amritsar Dussehra tragedy remain

Around dusk on October 19, a DMU (diesel multiple unit) mowed down a crowd standing on the rail tracks near Joda Phatak in Amritsar. A year after the tragedy, the scars remain.

Amritsar: For many here, this Dussehra is a painful reminder of last year's tragedy when a train sliced through revellers watching a Ravana effigy go up in flames, killing 61 people. Around dusk on October 19, a DMU (diesel multiple unit) mowed down a crowd standing on the rail tracks near Joda Phatak in Amritsar.

"My father Baldev Kumar who received multiple fractures with severe backbone injuries died five months after the accident. We are still running around to get his name registered in the list of those who died in the tragedy," Rajesh Kumar said on Monday.

He said they didn't get any compensation either from the state government or the Centre. Tears rolled down cheeks of Preeti, who had lost her husband Dinesh (32) and son Abhishek (9) in the tragedy.

"Mere compensation is not enough. I need a government job and want that action be taken against the guilty. Otherwise, I will remain mentally disturbed for the rest of my life," Preeti said.

Navjit, who had lost his son Sachin (15) in the accident, said, "No one in the world can bring back my son. At least, our government should fix the responsibility for the train accident so that such incidents do not take place in future. Only strict punishment to the guilty can stop such incidents."

Keeping in view the tragedy, the department had given permission for the celebrations at only 10 places against last year's 19 locations.

Besides, families of the victim organised a candle march demanding action against the officials responsible for the incident. They demanded payment of compensation and nab the culprits.

On September 28, 30 families had staged a protest outside the house of former Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu in Amritsar, demanding jobs for the kin of the dead.

The former Punjab minister's wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu was the chief guest at the event held on October 19 last year. The Sidhu couple had failed to honour their promise of providing government jobs, the agitators had claimed.

The protesters claimed that Sidhu had promised them to bear their monthly kitchen expenses besides ensuring free education to victims of the train tragedy but nothing of that sort happened.

Deepak Kumar, who had lost his father Gurinder Kumar and uncle Pawan Kumar in the train accident, said on Monday, "We received compensation from the state and the Union governments but the job is nowhere. I want strict action against those responsible for the massacre."

Monica, who had lost her husband Jagdish, said, "A widow can't survive without a job or money in hand. The compensation given by the governments won't last long."

After the train tragedy, the Punjab government had announced Rs 5 lakh to the kin of those who died in the accident.

The Centre had also announced to give Rs 2 lakh to the family of each dead. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had ordered an inquiry into the incident. A 300-page report was submitted to the Punjab Home Secretary in November last year.

The accident took place at the Dhobi Ghat ground in Choura Bazar near Jhoda Phatak area in Amritsar on October 19 last year after a speeding train ran over a crowd of Dussehra revellers that went onto the railway tracks while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy.

Read: Amritsar train tragedy 2018: Victims' families stage protest outside Sidhu's residence