Punjab borewell death: ‘Too difficult to forget his face and words, he had just learnt to speak’

Nine days after rescuers failed to pull two-year-old Fatehveer Singh alive out of a 125-feet-borewell, questions continue to swirl about the administration’s failure acting in time to save a young life. On Thursday, those questions threatened to manifest themselves in a protest against the government during a bhog ceremony scheduled for Fatehveer. But in the end, the prayer meeting went off peacefully at Grain Mandi at Sunam. The family and hundreds who had gathered at the Grain Mandi paid their last tributes to the child at his bhog ceremony.

Fatehveer’s grandfather, Rohi Singh, said that he will not blame the administration for the boy’s death and that his only regret was that it took too long to pull his body despite their (administration’s) best efforts.

Other family members too said that it was “fate” that was responsible for snatching away the boy from them. “We are left with nothing except his memories. It is too difficult to forget his face, his naughtiness and words he had started speaking recently. On that fateful day (June 6), I had taken him for a motorbike ride. He would tell his grandmother to prepare choori for him. We do not want any monetary compensation. He was our only child and we are financially well-off. We do not need any money in his name. The only regret is that it took too long to take him out. The administration put in their best efforts but still it took five days…,” the grandfather said.

Denying that borewell was ‘open’ that day, he added, “It was covered with bricks and a gunny bag that day too. Fateh’s mother was there… It was fate.. it was written, so it happened…”

Fatehveer’s father, Sukhwinder Singh alias Vicky, said that administration put in their best ‘efforts’ but lacked ‘equipment’. “Nowhere they were lacking in efforts, but they did not have the equipment or the machinery which was required. It was fate that my son had to spend his second birthday (June 10) inside a borewell. Fateh was too intelligent for his age. Since he had started walking, he had wheels in his feet and would do every naughty thing possible. We could not blink for a second and he was up to something…,” he said.

On Thursday, a board was erected on Sunam Sheron Kainchian to Sheron Longowal road (11.83 km stretch) and it was named as ‘Fatehveer Singh Marg’ after CM’s approval, which came Wednesday. “We have enough land.. almost 60 kilas.. we do not need any money but a school in his name..,” said Rohi Singh. Meanwhile, a group of youths distributed 2,000 saplings at bhog ceremony venue and requested people to plant saplings in kid’s memory. “We have started Fatehveer Hariyaval Lehar and each sapling planted in Fateh’s memory will keep the child alive forever..,” said Lalli Dhanaula from Barnala.

Apart from local Youth Congress leaders, no one from administration or Congress attended the ceremony. AAP MLAs Aman Arora and Harpal Cheema and Parminder Singh Dhindsa from SAD attended and demanded a ‘probe’ in the entire episode.