It seems that Tillottama Kolkata, as fondly called by its citizens, is still struggling to come to terms with one of its worst fire tragedies ever even though an year has passed. Exactly an year ago (on December 9, 2011), at a time when the city was already trying to overcome the grief of the devastating fire at Stephen Court in March 2010 where at least 43 people were charred to death, Kolkata was struck by another catastrophe: AMRI Hospital in Dhakuria caught fire choking 93 patients to death.
On the first anniversary of the AMRI fire tragedy on Sunday, the families of the victims along with fellow citizens and state municipal affairs and urban development minister Firhad Hakim participated in a silent rally from Gariahat to the AMRI’s abandoned hospital building. From there, they went to Safari Park on Southern Avenue where a memorial service was organised.
Although it has been 12 months but time has stood still for the victims’ families. Nothing has changed much for them.
As the rally reached the AMRI campus, the family members failed to hold back their tears. Subhashis Chakraborty remembered that his wife Munmun had called him at 4.10 am, saying there was a fire at the hospital where she was admitted with a broken ankle. “Come soon,” she had said, adding, “Please take me out.” At home, three-and-a-half year old Rishiraj believes his mother is still in hospital. Subhashis has still not told him that his mother is no more. His 11-year-old daughter, Titlee, knows the truth but has never shared it with her brother.
Dhananjoy Pal, who lost his teenaged daughter, lamented why it was his “little girl” and not he who was choked to death.
Rangan Dey, 25, whose father was among the victims, said, “I am still in shock. We are still coming to terms with his loss. My mother is still broken.”