‘Who will return my son to me?’
Because the our bodies of the victims from Wednesday’s stampede exterior the M Chinnaswamy Stadium have been launched to grieving households, grief shortly turned to anger. One after one other, heartbroken dad and mom, spouses and kin accused the federal government and organisers of gross negligence, holding them answerable for the chaos that claimed the lives of their family members, a lot of them college students and younger professionals who had solely come to see their cricketing heroes.
The message from households was clear: this tragedy may have been prevented.
“I saved telling him to not go,” stated DT Lakshman, father of 20-year-old Bhoomik DL, an engineering scholar from Hassan. “His mom too advised him to not go. However, he needed to click on photos and publish them on social media. Now, irrespective of how loud I name his title, he is not going to come again. Ministers might go to us, however who will return my son to me?”
Bhoomik’s physique was delivered to his native Kuppugodu village, the place the household carried out the ultimate rites. “What ought to I do with all this wealth now, with out my son?” Lakshman requested, having spent years constructing a future for Bhoomik in Bengaluru.
In Puttur, the household of 19-year-old Chinmayi Shetty echoed his sentiments. A vibrant engineering scholar and Yakshagana performer, Shetty died after being crushed by the group. “She had so many desires — she was good at research, enthusiastic about sports activities and Yakshagana,” stated her uncle Sadananda Shetty. “If there had been correct crowd management, this might have been averted.”
Akshatha Pai, 26, a chartered accountant and gold medallist attended the occasion together with her husband Akshay Pai. They’d each taken the time without work, and entered the stadium by way of Gate No. 17, proudly carrying RCB jerseys. “We have been strolling in collectively, holding palms,” Ashay Pai recalled. “Instantly, there was an enormous push… I misplaced maintain of her. I searched frantically. Then I noticed her, mendacity immobile on the bottom… She was carrying the RCB t-shirt. That’s how I recognised her.”
The physique of 14-year-old Divyamshi BS, a Class 9 scholar, was taken to Andhra Pradesh by her household after a tearful farewell in Bengaluru. Her mom Ashwini blamed the authorities for the failure to manage the group. “They stated entry was free, so why didn’t they open all gates?” she requested.
Ashwini’s anger was echoed by Divyamshi’s grandfather Lakshmi Narayana. “There was no police deployment at Gate 15,” he stated. “She went together with her mom and aunt. These current needed to rush her to the hospital in an auto.”
In Mandya’s Rayasamudra village, the household of 27-year-old civil engineer Poorna Chandra was in mourning. He had travelled to Bengaluru for the celebration with buddies, however by no means made it again. “Simply the night time earlier than, we had sweets at house to have fun RCB’s victory,” stated his mom Leelavathi. “Now that very celebration has taken our son away from us.” His uncle Somashekar revealed that the household had deliberate his wedding ceremony for the upcoming Shravana season. “We had even requested him to satisfy a potential bride simply yesterday,” he stated.
One other life misplaced was that of 17-year-old Shivalinga Chandappa Kumbara, a pre-university scholar from Yelahanka. His dad and mom, daily-wage labourers from Yadgir district, have been knowledgeable by police late at night time that their son had “met with an accident”.
“Once we reached the hospital, we noticed his physique and have been shocked past phrases,” stated his brother Honnappa. “There have been clear indicators of accidents on his chest from being trampled.”
