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Seven burning pyres and resounding grief-stricken wailing – the cremation ground at Banur had never seen a similar sight before.
Amid shock, disbelief and tears, family members of the seven pilgrims who drowned in the Gobind Sagar lake in Himachal Pradesh’s Una district on Monday performed their last rites on Tuesday afternoon.
All seven victims, six of whom were teenagers, were residents of Meera Shah Colony in Banur and belonged to the Baazigar community.
Four among them came from one family – brothers Raman Kumar, 19, and Love Kumar, 17, their uncle Pawan, 33, and cousin Lakhvir, 17.
The four, along with the three other deceased – Vishal Kumar, 16, Shiv Kumar, 17, and Arun Kumar, 15 – were part of a group of 11 pilgrims, who had entered the lake near Garib Nath temple in Una’s Bangana sub-division to take bath. But out of the 11, only four could come out to safety.
On Tuesday, as their bodies arrived from Una around 3.30 pm, a sea of mourners surrounded the ambulances in the narrow alleys of Meera Colony. Agonising wails of parents filled the air as the bodies were brought home.
“I have lost everything. My entire family has been finished. I don’t know what the future holds for me any more,” said Surjit Singh, who lost his son Pawan and three grandsons, Raman, Love and Lakhvir, in the mishap.
While Pawan was employed at a liquor factory in Banur, Lakhvir was working at a medical store in the town.
Raman was pursuing a diploma at Banur Polytechnic, while his brother was learning the work of PVC panelling.
Shiv and Arun were students of Classes 11 and 9, respectively, at Government School, Banur. Vishal also had a private job.
The Himachal Pradesh government on Tuesday announced a compensation of ₹ 4 lakh for the family of each victim. The Punjab government will also provide ₹ 1 lakh as compensation to each family.
“This is the first time that so many pyres are burning at this cremation ground at the same time. The Punjab government should announce a compensation of ₹ 10 lakh for the family of each victim and also provide them jobs,” demanded Banur MC president Jagtar Singh Singh Kamboj, who was present at the cremation, along with Banur MLA Neena Mittal and Mohali SDM Sarabjit Kaur.
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