Man who played Ravana among those killed in Amritsar train accident

Amritsar, October 20

The man who played the character of demon king Ravana at the Ram Leela at Joda Phatak was among those killed in the train accident.

After he enacted the role of Ravana, Dalbir Singh, in his twenties, was watching the burning of an effigy from the tracks when he, along with 61 others, was run over by a train.

Dalbir has an eight-month-old daughter.

Unable to control her emotions, Dalbir’s mother said her son was playing different characters in the Ram Leela for the past many years.

“My son played the role of Ravana at the Ram Leela, which was held on the ground at Dhobi Ghat adjacent to Joda Phatak...he is no more...He too was run over by the train,” the mother said.

Manoj, a friend of Dalbir’s, said he had been playing the role of Ravana for the past five years at the Ram Leela, which is held at a ground a little distance away from the accident site.

His mother said Dalbir’s body would not be cremated until the family got compensation from the government.

Seeking a job for the widow of Dalbir, his mother said the state government should give her a government job so that the family could sustain their livelihood.

“We want justice...it is unfortunate that none from the government or any politician has visited the family,” she said.

Another friend of Dalbir’s said that on seeing a speeding train approaching the area, he had rushed towards them to save them.

“Dalbir was able to push seven to eight people away from the rail track...but there was something else in store for him as the train ran him over, killing him on the spot,” he said.

At least 61 people were killed on Friday evening after a crowd of Dussehra revellers that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy was run over by a train near Joda Phatak here. PTI