Bodies of Jharkhand students arrive in Ranchi

Vijay Deo Jha/Joy Sengupta | Ranchi

Friday, March 5, 2010

The shrieks and cries of Gorelal Paswan, an employee of CMPDI, echoed throughout Dhawan Nagar as the coffin carrying the body of his son, Gautam, arrived at his residence on Thursday. Gautam, a student of the Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu, died in a road mishap on February 28.

The incident was followed by the police lathi-charge on the protesting students which led to chaos resulting in the death of Sumit Kumar, another university student hailing from Jamshedpur, and two others from Bihar.

Sumit's body arrived too and was taken to Jamshedpur by his relatives. He and the other two students drowned in a canal while trying to escape from the police.

The deaths also rang bells in the Assembly on Thursday with the Opposition asking the State Government to take a serious look over the deaths.

“Now what do I do? Everything I had is now finished. Why God, this to us,” yelled Gautam's father, who works as a chief surveyor in CMPDI.

Gautam's mother, who was told about the incident only on Thursday, was inconsolable. She fainted many a times after seeing the body of her son.

Gautam was the youngest among Paswan's three sons. The second son, Neeraj, was killed some 8 years ago following being kidnapped by unidentified miscreants. His body was recovered tied in a jute sack from the Chutia police station area. Police investigations in this case have proved futile till late.

The scene in the locality was grim and all the neighbours and friends turned up to Gautam's small house to pay their condolences to the grieving family. Neighbours said that the family had been struggling in order to pay for Gautam's education.

“The family had been struggling to make both ends meet. The father had taken a big loan for Gautam's education. They have been really struggling hard. Loosing two sons is not easy,” said a neighbour.

Meanwhile, the State Government assured the Assembly for a suitable reply over the issue on February 10. Raising the issue at Zero Hour, CPI(ML) legislator Vinod Kumar Singh asked the State Government to take a serious look over the deaths.

Singh said that the State Government must focus upon the higher and technical education in Jharkhand so that the students of Jharkhand are not forced to migrate to other States.

JVM legislator Pradeep Yadav, who supported the CPI(ML) legislator's point of view, said that the State Government must take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of the students studying in other States.

HRD Minister Hemlal Murmu clarified that the State Government has been in active touch with the Government of Tamil Nadu following the issue.

The Opposition though remained vociferous and said that even after more than a dozen of students of Jharkhand studying in different parts of Tamil Nadu and other southern States have fled following the incident, the State Government remained insensitive towards the issue.

Congress legislator Banna Gupta said that while the body of deceased student was brought to Jharkhand on Thursday, none of the officials of the district administration turned up.