Sangakpham blast haunts surviving victims
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 02 2011: "The terrible bomb blast left me virtually invalid.

The amount of Rs one lakh promised by the Government is yet to be delivered while money borrowed for my treatment has been multiplying day by day", lamented 30 year old Samurailakpam (O) Shanti.

Shanti is a construction labourer while her husband is a mason.

She is one of the surviving victims of the Sangakpham bomb blast of August 1, 2011 .

On that fateful day, Shanti was about to return to their Lei Ingkhol home after buying fish from Sangakpham Bazar when the powerful blast rocked the whole area.

She sustained severe injuries and middle finger, index finger and thumb of her right hand were ripped off.

Till now, Shanti is unable to hold anything or work with her right hand.

A right handed person, all manual work have been transferred to her left hand.

Shanti and her husband used to earn their livelihood by working as daily wage labourers.

But since the devastating blast, Shanti has been incapacitated to do any work.

With her daily income thus cut off, Shanti and her family have run into huge debts.

Moreover, the family has been struggling hard to pay monthly interest for the money borrowed for treatment of Shanti.

File picture of the Sangakpham bomb blast site

Literally choked with her woeful tales, Shanti said, "What would that Rs one lakh promised by the Government compensate? Nothing can compensate the loss of my capacity to work.

"By God's grace, I was not killed in the bomb blast but my right hand was grievously injured.

So far, Rs 60,000/70,000 have been spent in the treatment of my hand.

All the money we saved over the years have gone", Shanti said.

While lamenting the loss of her capacity to work, Shanti was extremely worried thinking how to pay back the borrowed money.

Recalling the terrible moments of August 1, Shanti said that she is now afraid of going to Sangakpham Bazar again.

Shanti and her husband Samurailakpam Joykumar have five children.

Before the devastating blast, the couple were working hard to feed and educate their children.

Shanti followed her husband to his work place and worked together in their struggle to groom their children properly.

But all her hopes and dreams were shattered in a single moment by that powerful blast.

Cursing those painful moments, Shanti said, "Almighty God would never forgive the perpetrators of such bomb blast in civilian populated areas" .

Saying that her whole life has been ruined by the Sangakpam blast, Shanti prayed to all concerned not to trigger any bomb blast in civilian areas ever again.

With her thumb still unable to make any motion, Shanti is currently undergoing physiotherapy treatment.

Shanti was hoping to pay back some of the money she borrowed from others once the money promised by the Government is delivered.

Notably, five people including two girls and a man suspected to have planted the bomb, were killed in the Sangakpham blast while other people sustained injuries.

In the aftermath of the terror attack, the State Cabinet decided to give Rs two lakhs to the next of kin of the deceased victims, Rs one lakh each to those seriously injured and Rs 30,000 each to those who suffered minor injuries.

However, all these amounts promised by the Government have not been delivered till date.

Nevertheless, president of the Sangakpham bomb blast JAC informed that the Government has completed verification process of the deceased as well as injured victims.

He exuded that the Government would pay the compensation amounts very soon.