Anandpur Sahib, August 4
Punjabiyat rose to the fore yet again as those doing kar sewa rose to the occasion to arrange for the transfer of the bodies to native places. Besides this, they also attended to the relatives of those affected by the stampede yesterday. Even though the Himachal government deputed its Bilaspur subdivisional magistrate here since yesterday, it abrogated all responsibility as far as arranging for the transportation of bodies to their homes. This responsibility was taken up by Sant Baba Labh Singh and Sant Baba Jarnail Singh who arranged for 50 trucks for this task. They also arranged for ice to prevent the bodies from decomposing. They also provided tea and ‘langar’ for the relatives of the deceased who had been camping here since yesterday evening ever since the bodies were evacuated from the site of the tragedy.
Leela Singh of Dikh village, while talking to TNS, said the kar sewaks also arranged for ‘neem’ leaves to control the all-pervasive stench in the hospital where bodies were lying all around even as knelt besides them to identify their near and dear ones. Besides the ‘kar sewaks,’ youngsters of the Sikh Missionary College too reached the spot to make announcements on a mike to coordinate the movement of bodies which had been identified to the trucks. “The trucks went as far as Panipat”, said a youth Pargat Singh.
Devotees who were present on the fateful day at the site also pitched in immediately. A group of youngsters of the Bharatiya Mahavir Dal led by Raj Kumar of Patran was instrumental in bringing down 20 bodies from the tragedy site. “We had to lift the bodies as there was no arrangement for stretchers”, he said. Raj Kumar said they went into action as they saw that no help was forthcoming from any quarter even a few hours after the tragedy.
Similarly, Rajneesh Goel, Anand Lal and Krishan Rana said they helped in bringing down 40 bodies. Rajesh Goel said even when they were doing this they were lathi charged. They also claimed that they helped in loading about 20 bodies into private vehicles as the government was taking long to make arrangements for the movement of the bodies. Some of these people took the bodies of their near and dear ones directly to their villages in Samana, Budhlada, Barnala and Patran rather then wait for the transfer to the mortuary here.
Even as all bodies were taken away from the hospital here, the ‘kar sewaks’ were busy seen helping people who reported their relatives missing in the tragedy.
