Around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, a familiar group of people gathered at Smriti Upavan in Green Park, right across the Uphaar theatre, to remember their loved ones they lost in an inferno in 1997.
June 13 marked 20 years of the Uphaar fire that claimed 59 lives, and also of the struggle of the 28 families which have been fighting for justice against the owners of theatre, Gopal and Sushil Ansal. Clad in white, the relatives of the victims performed a havan for the departed, their photos placed side by side on a red board adorned with garlands of white flowers.
“We pray not for justice, but for those who seek justice in this country,” read one of the posters, while another screamed: “Uphaar case: You can get away with mass murder,” conveying the sentiments of the relatives who believe justice has not only been delayed but denied to them.
Ninety-two-year-old Swaran Sawhney walked to the memorial holding her son Naveen’s hand, as she has been for the last 20 years.
‘Her mother still cries’
Mr. Naveen Sawhney told The Hindu that his mother was very close to his daughter Tarika who had gone to watch the film ‘Border’ with her friend Ruby Kapur on that fateful day.
“Tarika was the first girl child in the family and that’s the reason she was the most loved and pampered one. Till date, when her mother cooks her favourite dish, tears swell up in her eyes,” he said.
Tarika, 21 at the time, was engaged to be married to a boy in the United States and was pursuing a course in computer science after completing her graduation from Delhi University.
Mr. Naveen remembered how he brought back Tarika’s friend Ruby’s body from the hospital because her family was away on a pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi.
“How would you feel if you go on a holy trip and come back home to your sister’s dead body,” said Gobind Kapur, Ruby’s 29-year-old brother who was only 10 years old then. “I still remember each and every moment of the day. It’s been tough, beyond anything I can explain in words,” he said.
‘The fight is not over’
The long legal battle waged by the 28 families to bring the threatre owners to book also seems to have taken a toll on them. On Tuesday, they seemed low on morale, but the president of the Association of the Victims of Uphaar Tragedy, Neelam Krishnamoorthy, who has been termed by other members as ‘the pillar’ of the battle, told The Hindu that the fight was far from over.
“We will file a curative petition and there are other cases we are fighting against the Ansals. Sushil Ansal has gone scot free because of his age and his brother Gopal Ansal has been give one year-jail term. This is absolute injustice,” she said.
Twenty years after a fire in the south Delhi cinema claimed 59 lives, the families of the victims feel that justice has been denied to them in the case
At Smriti Upavan, a black granite structure stands near the wall, with the names and date of birth of the 59 victims etched on it. Describing the stone in her book ‘Trial By Fire’, Ms. Krishnamoorthy writes: “A stream of water flows continuously on the round structure in front of the wall that bears the names of all the victims. This stream is supposed to serve as a constant reminder of the pain and trauma that the families of the victims families are going through.”
Mohan Lal Sehgal, a retired project manager from Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, who lost his 21-year-old son Vikas Sehgal in the fire told The Hindu that he and his wife went into clinical depression after the incident. “June 13 is my birthday and it’s also my son’s death anniversary,” he said as he tears rolled down his cheeks.
Daman Singh, 22, nephew of Sandeep Rahi who lost his life in the tragedy, recounted how his mother Harjeet Kaur has struggled for the last 20 years.
‘Must carry on’
“Till date, she ties a rakhi on his photograph. For the longest time, she didn’t believe he was dead,” he said, adding that June 13 was Mr. Rahi’s birthday. As silence fell over the place, Daman attempted to lighten the mood and proudly claimed that he is now working as a chef just like his uncle.
Shyam Nagpal, who lost his wife Madhu Pandey Nagpal, said his younger daughter knows her mother only through the photos and stories she has been told over the years. His wife had taken their 4-year-old daughter Megha to the cinema, leaving her 11-month-old daughter Surabhi at home. Megha, fortunately, survived the blaze.
“My own grief and pain had to be adjourned as I had to take care of my daughters. Part of my heart died when I lost my wife, but you have to learn to live,” he added.
As the ceremony concluded, the 55 photos on the board (families of four victims didn’t want to put up their pictures) were taken off and placed back in white envelopes with the names written on each one.
