34 yrs on, kin remember kids lost in boat tragedy

Gagan K Teja

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Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 29

On September 29, 1982, as many as 22 children, including nine girls and 13 boys, lost their lives in a tragic boat accident in Nangal. The memories of their loved ones are still fresh in the minds of their families as this correspondent spoke to them at Children Memorial School, here today.

“My daughter Anandani was the youngest of the children who lost their lives in the boat tragedy. Had she been alive, she would be 44 years old. Though I have two sons, it is impossible to forget the small little details of her that once lightened up our lives,” Atul Malhotra, father of Anandani.

“My brother Tejinder Pal Nakai had missed his bus. Had he not forced my father to follow his bus till Sirhind to join his classmates for the trip, he would have been with us today. Destiny had other plans and nothing is above god’s will,” said Tajinder’s younger brother Karamjit Singh.

“My heart still freezes whenever I think about the incident. Both my children were on the boat that capsized, and while my daughter was saved, my son Sameer Khosla drowned. I didn’t know whether I should thank god for saving my daughter or cry my heart out for my son,” said Sameer’s father Vinod Khosla.

These heart-rending stories have come straight from the family members of the children who lost their lives in one of the biggest tragedies 34 years ago when over 100 students of Class VI of Our Lady of Fatima School went to pay their obeisance at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib.

On their way back to Nangal Dam, few of the children insisted to come back by boat, but tragically, the boat capsized and 22 of the 65 children who were aboard drowned.

While remembering his only daughter, Atul Malhotra said “Though 34 years have passed, we are still trying to come to terms with our daughter’s death. Girls are always more loving and caring. Our two sons are living abroad but we missed the warmth of a daughter and this hollowness in our lives will stay till our last breath.”

Kanta Goel, mother of Vivek Goel, says her son continues to live in his dreams. “One of my son’s classmates came to me with her parents few days after the incident and told me that Vivek had saved her life but lost his life. She told me that she was drowning and she requested him to save her. He didn’t know what to do and extended his hand. While she climbed the boat, Vivek fell into the water and drowned. Though the pain is unbearable, it gives me immense pride that even at that tender age, my son died saving his friend’s life,” said the inconsolable mother.

Dr Charu Khosla, associate professor at Chitkara University was lucky enough to survive but lost her elder brother Sameer Khosla in the tragedy. Though she has moved on in life but the memory of the incident continues to haunt her. She was hardly 11 but remembers every bit of the incident that changed her life altogether.

“All those memories are engraved on my soul. Even after so many years, I cannot forget those crying faces. Unfortunately, I lost my brother and my classmates in the incident. I remember how I was literally struggling to grab anything that could save my life and it was in the third attempt that I succeeded in holding someone’s plait and was rescued along with her,” she added. Mohan Lal Chugh and Sandeep Sahni, who lost their sons in the accident, said they have committed themselves to the school in order to ensure that education of children should not suffer.