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Humanitarian aid volunteers

decry politics to Help victims

Humanitarian aid volunteers thronged the spot where hospital at Government medical College and after assessing
mishap took place and hospitals where dead bodies and the entire situation moved to Civil Hospital where people were
the injured were being rushed. assisting the administrative facing problem in identifying bodies. “We then decided to fo-
machinery, the notable among them were volunteers of cus on Civil Hospital. this was after we conacted the deputy
Sunshine Youth Club, the local chapter of globally active Commissioner who asked for help in bodies identification.
Khalsa aid, Your Blood Can Save Life and Voice of it was such gory scene that at one stage even i went numb
amritsar. when i carried the body of an-year-old baby in my hands. One
they mobilised ambulances, procured medicines and complete dogra family comprising the couple and two kids
were seen camping outside emergency rooms of the hospitals was dead,” recalled arshdeep while recognizing contribution
to lend a helping hands to the doctors and other medical of volunteers of other nGOs.
staff. “they helped in every possible capacity. they contacted His organisation helped identify 40 bodies besides pro-
me for setting up free food, tea counters. there were many viding ambulances to the aggrieved kin to take these to their
among them who rose to the occasion in individual capacity. respective homes, some as far as Bathinda and Phagwara
they are our unsung heroes,” commented concerned area from where they had come to amritsar to be with their rela-
Sdm Vikas Heera. tives on dusshera. “the entire operation of identifying 40
Busy offering relief to victims from their own resources, bodies was started at one o’clock on the night of the mishap
they could help notice the appalling level of callousness and was completed by one o’clock the next afternoon. the
played over the tragedy. “i can’t imagine the dirty level of weak hearted would have fainted at the sight of collecting
politics played over such situation of collective concern and and matching the severed limbs with pieces of clothes on
grief. i must say it was very unfortunate and depressing for them for purpose of identification. the almighty gave us
youths like us to see the opposition parties and government courage to accomplish this task,” he added.
not being on the same page,” observed arshdeep Singh (24), Fearing backlash from the affected families and the area
a prominent volunteer of Sunshine Youth Club which mostly residents over the tragedy which also witnessed stone pelting
comprises professionals and students. He started volunteer- on the police, they also chipped in, on being asked by the
ing for Khalsa aid on being inspired by the organisation’s administration to visit the affected homes. this was done
work in 2015 nepal earthquake. because the organisation had earned acceptability for its
Within an hour or so, their volunteers first reached selfless humanitarian work.

tives. I stationed myself at the GMC where the maxi- affected kin. We also issued death certificates at
mum injured were brought. Control room was set up the cremation grounds to avoid any problem in
there,” said Sangha. releasing compensation. This was a huge task
Within minutes the accident was reported at in a tragically chaotic situation of such magni-
about 7 pm, the Amritsar Deputy Commissioner tude,” said Vikas Heera, SDM, Amritsar-II who
and Commissioner of Police got in touch. Given managed to sleep for only for 4 hours during 72
the spontaneous public anger fuelled by accusa- hours after the incident.
tions of political nature especially in the affected It is not unusual for unscrupulous people exploit-
area, maintaining law and order besides other relief ing such situation. A day after the incident, two per-
measures was also taken up as priority. The district sons claiming to have been injured turned up at the
administration planned to have the injured at vari- GMC and insisted on getting admitted. “One of them
ous hospitals so that there was no stress on resourc- had a minor injury whereas another had no visible
es. The officials and resources were mobilized and injury as seen in the x-ray reports,” Dr Surinder Paul,
stationed at crucial spots to assess the quantum Medical Superintendent of the GMC. Two similar
of the tragedy. “Our entire response system cases were reported on the third day. This created
was in place by 12 at night; maximum bodies suspicion in the wake of compensation announced
were identified; started post-mortem opera- by the government for the dead and the injured. In
tion and thereafter cremations in presence of the another case, a person carrying a pair of slippers

Tehelka / 15 november 2018 18 www.Tehelka.com

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