Local Muslims Led Rescue in Kanchanjunga Train Accident
Indians’ Inherent Tendency to Support Each Other in Times of Disaster
Newsreel Asia Insight #256
June 19, 2024
Recent calamities and tragedies in India, including the Kanchanjunga Express train accident in West Bengal, show the instinctual response of Indians to help one another in times of disaster. This behaviour stands in stark contrast to the divisive tactics employed by certain political figures along religious and caste lines, demonstrating that inherent unity transcends manufactured divides.
In the tragic train incident on June 17, wherein a goods train collided with the stationary Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express near Rangapani area, about 30 km from New Jalpaiguri station in Siliguri, 10 people died and at least 40 others were injured.
The immediate response from the local community was not of indifference but of profound communal spirit and selflessness. Local residents rushed to aid the victims without a moment’s hesitation, as reported by India Today.
These locals, who were Muslims and had just participated in Bakrid celebrations, left their festivities midway to help. Dressed in traditional festive attire, they were driven by an innate compulsion to assist those in distress, demonstrating a unity that transcends religious and cultural boundaries.
They informed the police but did not wait for official rescue efforts to commence. Instead, they took initiative, using ladders from their homes to help extract passengers trapped in the wreckage. Their efforts were about providing comfort; they arranged transportation to hospitals, ensured that injured passengers had water and snacks, and even safeguarded passengers’ belongings until they could be claimed.
“We took some injured to hospital in private vans as police and ambulances arrived after 30 mins. We also gave the passengers all their belongings, such as mobile phones, luggage and other stuff. Some unattended belongings were handed over to the police as no one claimed them. We continued to rescue people for around many hours. We also arranged water and snacks for the injured people,” a student, who was involved in the rescue operation, was quoted as saying.
The local residents did not inquire about the religion or caste of the affected individuals; they simply acted. Consider the contrast: while some politicians incite violence against people from other communities, in this incident, the community members proactively worked to prevent further harm to those affected.
This spontaneous and selfless response is not an isolated instance but a recurring theme in the face of disasters in India.
For instance, during the Bengaluru floods in Karnataka in September 2022, despite the city’s battle with an overwhelmed sewerage system and significant urbanisation challenges, local volunteers and residents played a crucial role, as reported by Hindustan Times. They deployed boats to rescue stranded residents, navigating through waterlogged streets and showing an exemplary sense of community responsibility and resilience. The religion of the affected people was never relevant, just as it shouldn’t be.
Similarly, following the devastating triple train accident in Odisha in June 2023, which claimed at least 275 lives and injured thousands, Tukna Das, a mason at the nearby Bahanaga ISKCON temple, along with his colleagues, promptly provided aid. As reported by The Hindu, they rushed to the site with water bottles and used their mobile phones’ lights to assist the injured.
They successfully rescued numerous victims, including some who had lost limbs, and transported them to hospitals for treatment.
In the aftermath, the ISKCON temple transformed into a vital relief centre, providing rest, food and water to the victims, National Disaster Response Force personnel, railway officials and other volunteers. Chaitan Chandra Das, president of ISKCON Gadei Giri, spearheaded these relief efforts, which continued for several days, feeding hundreds at the site daily.
While none of the respondents or the first responders was bothered about the religion or caste of those who desperately needed help, misinformation circulated on social media, claiming the temple was a mosque. Those spreading these falsehoods were third parties, unconnected to and unconcerned about the human tragedy.
These instances of communal solidarity in the face of calamity sharply contradict the often divisive political narratives that seek to fragment society along religious and caste lines. The political motive behind such divisiveness seems clear: to gain or maintain power by exploiting social fissures. However, the natural response of the Indian people during times of crisis—unfiltered and unified—speaks to a deeper, shared human essence that overshadows these artificial divides.
