A Son’s Determined Hunt After Killer Hathras Stampede

A son’s determined seek for his mom – considered one of many heartbreaking tales from Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras after 123 individuals have been killed in a stampede at a poorly-planned public assembly by ‘godman’ Bhole Baba, who preached divinity from a swank ‘ashram’ constructed on 13 acres of land value Rs 4 crore.

Meenesh Kumar’s plight mirrors these of tons of – buddies and households of those that died, crushed below the ft of panicked fellow worshippers – who, hours after the tragedy, run from one hospital to a different, and again once more, praying, mockingly, their father, mom, son, or daughter is alive.

READ | Suffocation, Chest Accidents: Agra Physician On UP Stampede Deaths

For a lot of these prayers will fall on deaf ears. For the remaining, and a tearful Mr Kumar is hoping to be amongst them, reduction awaits. And if he’s so fortunate, he instructed NDTV, “I’ll by no means let her to any ‘satsang’.”

Meenesh Kumar’s Story

“My mom mentioned this ‘baba’ says good issues in his ‘satsang’. I went a couple of times… however she used to go to all… from Madhya Pradesh to Rajasthan, and in UP additionally. I instructed her, ‘you’re too previous… do not go.’ However she didn’t agree. Now, if I discover my mom, I’ll by no means let her go…” he instructed NDTV.

“I do not know a lot about this baba…” he mentioned and known as on the state authorities – led by the Bharatiya Janata Get together – to determine these whose negligence led to this catastrophe.

READ | “Organisers Tried To Cowl Up Incident”: Yogi Adityanath

“The administration ought to know whose mistake this was… and they need to right it,” he mentioned.

Meenesh Kumar lives in a village in UP’s Mainpuri district.

His mom, Ramkali Devi, 54, was among the many 2.5 lakh individuals who trooped dutifully right into a small open discipline in Hathras to take heed to Bhole Baba, who has blamed “anti-social components” – and never negligent organisers and aggressive non-public safety, which incorporates an ‘military of ladies’, for this tragedy.

Ramkali Devi left her house on Monday. The ‘prayer meet’ was on Tuesday.

She has not been seen or heard since. After which, amid the gloom, there gave the impression to be a ray of sunshine for Meenesh Kumar, whose search led him to the district hospital in Hathras.

READ | In Killer Stampede, One Entry, One Exit For Crowd Of two.5 Lakh

Ramkali Devi, such as you and I, and virtually everybody else, has a cell phone. Meenesh Kumar had been ringing it incessantly, hoping, virtually in opposition to hope, she would finally decide up.

And finally a girl did… but it surely wasn’t his mom.

A stranger did. She mentioned she would organize for him to talk to his mom. Solely she didn’t. When he known as again, stranger issues lay in retailer. “She instructed me my mom had gone to Agra,” he mentioned.

“Once I known as once more (a 3rd time) she mentioned, ‘Why are you troubling me?’ and switched off the cellphone,” a puzzled and much more apprehensive Mr Kumar mentioned.

“If Baba Has Powers…”

For a lot of, even Bhole Baba‘s most ardent followers, this tragedy has hit laborious.

READ | Siblings, Aged 3 And 9, Amongst Youngsters Killed In Stampede

Binod, a resident of Hathras, mentioned he had shredded posters of the ‘godman’ that when adorned his house… a house that was crammed together with his spouse, his mom, and his daughter. At the moment all three are lifeless.

“I used to be away, I got here to know concerning the stampede within the night. I rushed house to seek out they’re all lifeless,” he mentioned, breaking into tears.

READ | “If Baba Has Powers…”: Victims Mourn, Decide Up Items

From the various who have been injured, and the households of the lifeless, there may be one loud message to Bhole Baba… a requirement, now, for proof of his divinity. “If the baba actually has powers and cares about us, he ought to come right here and heal us…” is the resounding cry to the ‘godman’ and his many crores.

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