Young lives at loss, so does hope

Neha Saini

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 21

“As if the plague of drugs and unemployment wasn’t enough, this accident has claimed young lives from every house in our locality,” says Surinder Sharma, a resident of Krishna Nagar Colony that is mourning the loss of its young. Out of the total death count of 57, as many as 35 were aged between 14 and 30 years. “The ones, who have lost their children, have no hope left now,” he adds.

Krishna Nagar and its adjoining areas of Mohkampura and New Dashmesh Nagar are known for the rampant drug abuse problem. Mostly inhabited by migrants and lower income families, the youngsters of the area have fallen prey to addiction, owing to lack of education opportunities and employment.

“Most youngsters in the area have only studied till senior secondary. After that, it is a struggle to earn. Most of us, including the ones among dead, worked either as daily wagers or had no work. For families who have lost their young, even the hope for a better future has died with their children,” says Ashok Kumar, 29, a resident of the colony, who has lost a young cousin in the mishap.

“The ones, who have been rendered physically disabled due the incident will anyways not be able to earn a living now.”

According to Ashok, who works as a daily wager in factory making spare parts, the area has always been a hotbed of politics, because of the young vote bank. “The local politicians and leaders have nothing but only promises for the young voters. Now, when so many of our youngsters have died, no one has come to even empathise.”