Kolkata: Tuesday’s squall in Kolkata and its adjacent areas that claimed some 15 lives and left over a 100 injured also killed a young girl who was returning home from an inter-faith candlelight protest march in Kolkata against the Unnao and Kathua rapes.
The tragic incident took place when a tree fell on the auto-rickshaw, which the 27-year Ambreen Jawed, an M Phil student of Calcutta University, had boarded on the evening of April 17.
Ambreen had attended the protest march at St. Paul's Cathedral organised by the Indian Pluralism Foundation, along with some 200 other people, and was on her way back.
The tragedy struck at around 7.40 PM when the auto-rickshaw got crushed under the weight of a tree uprooted by the sudden double squall in the city on Lenin Sarani in Central Kolkata when wind speed nearly touched 100 kmph.
While Ambreen died on spot, the vehicle driver, Mohammad Manwar Alam, was declared dead on arrival at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital.
Ambreen’s cousin Shahbaz Alam, suffered multiple fractures in his legs.
The victim’s parents were in a state of complete shock and were unable to speak to the media.
However, her uncle Zahid Mahmood told News18: “Ambreen was pursuing an M. Phil degree in English Literature from Calcutta University. She did her schooling from Welland Gouldsmith School and Mother International School. She loved cricket. She was a brave girl and a bright student. She always stood against injustice. She used to teach underprivileged children in Topsia and Raja Bazar areas.”
“She was very disturbed with the Unnao and Kathua rapes. On April 17, she decided to join the protest march and God took her away from us. I still cannot believe that she is no more. She was keenly interested in human rights and values,” he said.
“That day when I asked her where she was going, she said it was time to make an impactful protest against atrocities on women and girl children,” he recalled.
Trinamool Congress leader Iqbal Ahmed said, “It was such an unfortunate incident. We lost a brave daughter. I was shocked to know about it. We are helpless before Allah. We will always remember Ambreen for her stand against social injustice and atrocities committed on girl children.”
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