Victims of the German Bakery blast are still dealing with the
trauma they suffered on this day two years ago
Victims of the German Bakery blast are still dealing with the
trauma they suffered on this day two years ago
Kantilal Ramji Jhala
I try not to remember the incident
Kantilal Ramji Jhala (63), a resident of Koregaon Park, was having a cuppa at German Bakery when the blast occurred, injuring Jhala and his friend. “I have given up the memory of the incident as it just disturbs life. I try my best not to remember the events of that day where everything had come to a standstill. With the help of mediation that I practice in the Ashram, I have been able to overcome the sorrowful memories,” he says.
—As told to Kiran Dahitule
Hardesh Jindal
Do not let the culprits have a long life like Afzal Guru and Ajmal Kasab
“Don’t play with our emotions. Just catch the terrorists and deliver justice to us. Do not let the culprits behind the blast have a long life like Afzal Guru and Ajmal Kasab,” said Hardesh Jindal (54), a chartered accountant from Ambala who lost his daughter Aditi in the German Bakery blast.
Aditi, who had come to Pune to do a landscape designing course with the a city college after doing a course in interior designing, died of her injuries on February 26, 2010. Suffering from multiple injuries, she had lost her leg before dying due to septicaemia.
“This year my daughter would have completed her course and would have been with us. The president was in town the next day after her death. But we did not get any help from the government or the hospital.”
—As told to Chaitraly Deshumkh
Santosh Chandvani
Though I have recovered physically, I will never visit Pune again
The brush with death has shaken 32-year-old Santosh Chandvani from Amravati to such an extent that he does not want to visit Pune again. Chandvani had suffered injuries on his leg and had to undergo treatment for several months even after he returned to Amravati. “I have received a new lease of life. I lost my handbag that contained Rs4.5 lakh. However, I was lucky to remain alive, and by now I have recovered from the physical as well as financial damage,” Chandvani, a garment shop owner, says.
However, the memories of the incident still trouble Chandvani. “I had been on a business tour to Mumbai. Since I had time, I planned to visit my relatives in Pune. I landed in Pune and found myself at the receiving end,” he says.
—As told to Kiran Dahitule
Amrapali Chavan
The most painful sight was when I saw a burning man crying for help
The blast that killed left the nation traumatised, failed to dampen the spirits of Amrapali Chavan (26). Chavan who suffered severe injuries and major burns kept going with her never-say-die attitude. She is still battling her wounds, and is set to undergo a surgery next month. “I had stopped at the German Bakery for a coffee. Before taking a sip, I heard a loud sound that left me senseless. When I gained consciousness, all I could see was dust, shambles and people screaming. The most painful sight was when I saw a lady burning in front of my eyes and a burning man lying inches away from me crying for help. I was helpless, as I myself lied there beneath the rubble,” she said.
However, she never let the traumatic incident daunt her spirits. “I could have reacted to this traumatic incident in two ways. Either I could have been a petrified individual, letting the effect of the blast linger on, or fight every fearful thought attached to the incident and live to the fullest. I chose the latter,” says the fearless girl, who resides in Vishrantwadi.
What is surprising is that in spite of being in the ICU for over a month and the doctors saying that she would not make it, Amrapali battled her way back to life. Her brush with death inspired her to pen down a book titled, Ek cup coffee at German Bakery. “After my operation, I will complete the last chapter of the book,” she said.
— As told to Soumabha Nandi
Rishabh Agarwal
The overwhelming grief of losing my best friends has changed me a lot
Rishabh Agarwal, a 27-year-old lawyer, who lost two of his
friends in the German Bakery blast, says he is coming to terms with the reality after undergoing an extensive rehabilitation programme.
“The incident made me a calm and thinking person. Today, that helps me in my practice. I realise that life has given me a rare opportunity and I want to make the best of it,” he says.
Rishabh’s friends Abhishek Saxena (20) and Rajiv Agarwal (23) were killed in the blast.
Memories of lost friends still make him emotional. “We used to frequent the German Bakery. Five of us were sitting there as usual on that fateful day and suddenly I heard a loud bang. I just fell unconscious and when I regained my consciousness, I was in Sassoon Hospital. The overwhelming grief of losing my best friends has changed me a lot. Now, I think a lot before acting,” he says.
Despite the traumatic experience, Rishabh is eager to return to Pune. “We are waiting for the German Bakery to reopen so that we can go there again. In fact, we expected the owner to restart the bakery by now,” he says.
—As told to Soumabha Nandi
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