Year on, scars of Amritsar Dussehra tragedy remain

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.

Kanta Rani, wife of Baldev, said, "After the demise of my husband, getting two square meals a day has become difficult."
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."
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."