HATHRAS: Just a few kilometres away from Hathras lies a small village called Sokhna which witnessed the death of four people in the stampede. A 60-year-old woman lost her life while seeking a cure for her grandson’s fits on the evening of July 2, in the stampede that occurred during Satsang of Narayan Sakar Hari popularly known as Bhole baba.
Son Devi attended the gathering with her grandson Mayank hoping for a miracle for the 6-year-old.
Kalicharan, Son Devi’s son, told The New Indian. “Somehow the kid was saved as a few people lifted him on their shoulders, but my mother died after being trampled by thousands.”
Known for miracles, the “Chamatkari Baba” had a reputation for curing various ailments, and villagers had encouraged Son Devi to seek his help for Mayank’s fits. Though not a devotee herself, Son Devi attended the Satsang out of desperation and hope for her grandson’s health.
Mayank vividly recalled the terrifying incident: “Somebody lifted me and took me out of the stampede and sat me down, but my grandmother was still stuck there.”
Somehow, the family managed to locate Son Devi’s body in the Etah district, where many other victims’ bodies had been sent. While the Chamatkari Baba could not provide the miracle cure for Mayank’s fits, the poorly organised satsang resulted in the heartbreaking loss of a beloved family member, a tragedy shared by many others who attended that ill-fated event.
