There is divided opinion on the credentials of Ravana. While a large chunk of the populace burns the effigy of Ravana as a symbol of triumph of good over evil, the demon king is being worshipped in Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Sri Lanka and Amravati in Maharashtra for a little over a decade now.
The recent Amritsar tragedy and a specific development on the site has now given people reason to hero worship the mythological character Ravana even more. Catastrophe struck at Amritsar when a train in high speed ran over people watching Ramlila.
Coincidentally a man who played the role of Ravana at the event was among those killed. The man identified as Dalbir Singh was a Ramlila regular but was playing Ravana the very first time.
He had a record of playing Hanuman, Ram Chandra and Laxman in the past.
The act that has made Dalbir stuff of legend is the fact that Dalbir died while trying to help others in crisis after 7 pm on Friday. Dalbir managed to drag nearly seven to eight people from coming under the train. Such was his fate that his foot got stuck and he got hit. As the sole breadwinner of the family, his near and dear ones now want some assistance for the future.
His biggest mistake that he moved towards Joda Phatak for a better view of the fireworks that lit up the night sky.
The family now wants the government give his widow a job.
61 people, watching Dussehra festivities, died in the unfortunate accident.
While questions are being raised about how was the permission for the event given, locals widely quoted by the media say that festivities here are on forover 20 years, where locals gather at Joda Phatak, barely 50 metres from railway tracks
Role of train driver, railway officials and local authorities, who permitted the event close to the railway tracks, is being probed, say cops.
An estimate suggests that over 700 people were watching the huge Ravana effigy going up in flames . The train has been identified as Jalandhar-Amritsar DMU passenger train coming to Amritsar from Hoshiarpur.
Local reports suggest a five foot wall of railways separates railway tracks and the empty plot where Dussehra was celebrated.
It is learnt that the railway crossing gates were closed and the crossing was manned, but those watching the Ramlila did not see or hear the approaching superfast train.
The event was held under the supervision of Saurabh Mithu Madaan, son of a Congress municipal corporator. He belongs to the Navjot Singh Sidhu group in the Amritsar Municipal Corporation.
Meanwhile as an ex gratia of 5L per victim to the next of kin has been announced, ugly politics continues to raise its head. This even as political topguns have started visiting the accident site and taking stock of the situation.
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