Kolkata: Despite rescuing several children, including his son’s friend, who were trapped under the crowd during the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal stampede, Anukul Sarkar of Agarpara lost his own 13-year-old son, Pranjal.Amid the chaos and cries for help, Anukul lost sight of Pranjal. Although desperately worried about Pranjal, Anukul could not ignore several children who had fallen under the pressure of the crowd. He pulled them out one after another, but could not save his son. Pranjal was one of the four children among the 19 people killed in the stampede at Chorbagan. “Despite his anxiety over Pranjal’s whereabouts, Anukul didn’t think twice about saving the helpless children lying on the road,” a relative said.“Anukul is haunted by the thought that he managed to rescue other children but failed to protect his own. Every time he closes his eyes, he recalls Pranjal’s face and the horrifying scenes of the stampede,” a family member said.At their home in Tetultala, Anukul stares at medals, trophies and other mementoes of Pranjal’s achievements in swimming that lie scattered around the house. According to family sources, it was Pranjal who had insisted on the trip to Chorbagan. Anukul had planned the outing with family members, friends and their children. A group of 13 had left Agarpara for the pandal. All returned except Pranjal.Recalling the night of the tragedy, Anukul said, “The crowd had suddenly swelled, and there was pushing and shoving. The situation spiralled out of control as people began falling to the ground under the pressure of the crowd. In the chaos, I lost hold of Pranjal’s hand. There was heavy rain and I somehow managed to make my way out of the crowd. But I had no idea where my son was.”During his search for Pranjal, Anukul continued helping other children. He pulled out whoever he could reach. He spotted Pranjal’s friend, Ahana, lying on the ground after being crushed by the crowd.“Ahana was unconscious. I somehow managed to pull her out and laid her on the road before beginning CPR. After several minutes, she regained consciousness. I left Ahana with my wife, Priyanka, and resumed the search for Pranjal,” he said.Anukul repeatedly approached cops on security duty, describing Pranjal and asking whether they had seen him. Finally, an officer told him that a child had been taken to another location. Anukul rushed towards the entrance and spotted a child lying near a small medical assistance centre. It was Pranjal.After finding his son, Anukul immediately appealed to people nearby to arrange transport to a hospital, asking for an ambulance, a bike or any available vehicle. Eventually, a biker took them both to Kolkata Medical College and Hospital. Anukul said he continued performing CPR on his son even after reaching the hospital. But his efforts proved futile. Unable to cope with the loss of her only son, Priyanka has stopped eating. “The family had plans for a trip the next week,” said Rabin Ghosh, a neighbour.
