A most heart touching brutal tragedy in my life
Today I took myself back to eighties and was anguished to reminiscence about a very tragic incident that had occured on one fateful night of 1979 at South Moti Bagh in South Delhi when I lost two very close friends namely former president of Moti Lal Nehru Evening College Dhananjay Dhyani and Pandey, both hailing from Uttarakhand.
They were in their twenties and quite healthy, having nursed dreams of their bright future.
Dhanajay Dhyani was an aspiring future political leader who was those days in close proximity with the then political stalwart Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna.
Bahugunaji those days was the union Finance minister in the cabinet of then PM Chowdhary Charan Singh after being Petroleum and Chemicals minister when Moraji Desai was PM.
Had the cruel hands of destiny not snatched Dhanajay Dhyani from his family and us in 1980, he would have been a national leader today, my inner instinct n consciense tells so as Bahugunaji loved him and saw in him quite a potential future leader.
Dhanjay Dhyani, was a very dedicated youth who was the only earning member of his family having just married with his modest parents n wife living in a nondescript Garhwal village. His father has lost eye sight due to being heavily diabetic. Dhyani worked hard day and night to look after his poor family at his native place sending money to his ailing parents every month through money order.
Laborious and determined to be a big man one day jubilant and always enthusiastic Dhanajay Dhyani used to work in Gallord printing press in Mohammed pur, near Sector 1, Rama Krishna Puram, printing handbills etc during the day time and attend evening classes in Moti Lal Nehru college after job hours. He did part time in the printing press after his duty in MTNL, then Post and Telegraph department where he was a regular employee.
He used to send a major part of his salary to his poor parents through money order. A laborious n highly enthusiastic boy Dhyani had an urge to be a leader and he had won the president’s election in 1977 or 78 from MLN college, coming in contact with Bahugunaji, thereafter.
It was his triumph and popularly that brought him close to the then union minister HN Bahuguna who had with Babu Jajjiwan Ram a year or two ago joined the Janata Party, born out of JP’s total revolution movement against the draconian emergency of 1975 to 77.
By 1980 Dhananjay Dhyani had left Moti Lal Nehru college and had joined Post and Telegraph department as well thus becoming a strong financial support for the family.
But despite joining the P and T department, his interest and involvement in politics was as before and was also active in trade union politically. He was in regular touch with union minister H N Bahuguna.
In 1980, I was contesting for the post of President of Moti Lal Nehru College, South Moti Bagh being in the final year. I was the central councillor, and then executive councillor DUSU a year ago in second year.
After extensive campaigning of several days Dhananjay Dhyani was in our college to support one Jagmohan Singh Rawat, vice president and me in my panel on the day of the polling. Virendra Juyal, who is now in BJP and a senior leader having contested as MLA on BJP ticket was joint secretary in my panel.
Dhanajay Dhayani, also visited my house on the day of counting and had meals, not knowing that destiny had stored a cruel death for him in the forthcoming night.
I remember very well, on the day of voting, on the night before this terrible accident, Dhananjay Bhai came to my house at about 3 o'clock and had food. I then lived near the college at South Moti Bagh, Nanakpura which was at a walking distance from the college.
After the counting was over and my triumph was declared by over three hundred votes, there was merry making with drums and students dancing etc.
They also came to my house, just a stone throw away, the address being E – 43, Nanakpura, in a jubilant procession and wished me and my parents good luck, garlanding me and dancing to the tunes of drum beating.
After merry making for an hour since it was too late all the students including my supporters n my entire students union winning team headed for Moti Bagh South stop so that the students may board the U specials n other buses for their respective destinations.
Dhanjay Dhyani and me had planned to go to H. N. Bahugunaji’s 5 Sunehri Bagh road the other day in good numbers n thereafter to a political convention organised by him at Talkatora stadium lawns to express solidarity.
While I was discussing this plan of action for the next day with Dhananjay Dhyani, some students from the other side of the road called me to arrange a U special bus for Najafgarh area shouting at me to come, as students of that side were in good numbers.
I left the company of Dhananjay asking him to be excused and crossed the road.
No one will believe that while I was on the divider to go on the other side of the road, a DTC bus with its driver in inebriated condition going to Sarojini Nagar depot from Dhaula Kuan side in excessive rashly turned the bus on the bus stop on the railing side, on which Dhananjay Dhyani was sitting, brutally crushing him and injuring several students standing at the bus stop with grievously injured students shouting loudly in shocking pain incessantly.
It was eleven PM then . The driver of the bus ran away in the melee. We were in terrible shock.
After enquiry we found three friends Dhanajay Dhyani, Pandey and Lakhera under the bus n rest saved, but injured.
Dhanajay Dhyani n Pandey died after being crushed under the tyres and Dinesh Lakhera brutally injured. We were in absolute shock n pain badly crying in pain and shock , not knowing what to do.
Those days there were no mobile phones. I immediately in a tempo coming from the other side rushed to Nanakpura police station, along with fellow students and informed the police shouting at them.
Thereafter Ambulances nand police arrived. The dead n injured were retrieved from under the bus and ferried to Safdarjung hospital, in utter shock and dismay.
Meanwhile, I alongwith few students all terrified n in shock literally in tears, crying, went at 1 PM to 5 Sunehri Bagh road and banged Bahuguna’s door. Bahugunaji in under shirt ( Gandhi Baniyan) and lungi emerged out of his room after hearing our cries and was shocked.
He too wept and accompanied us in his official ministerial car with red beackon to the then health minister Rabi Ray’ s house in the Lutyen’s zone.
It was midnight about 2 AM. Health minister Rafi Ray after getting up hurriedly from sleep came out wearing Dhoti n Kurta Kurta, surprised to see worrisome Bahuguna at such an odd hour while Bahuguna saying Chalo chalo, Safdarjung hospital chalna hai.
Both of them and we approached Safdarjung hospital’s casualty where both the dead bodies were lying on stretchers n students in utter shock standing around, with police n doctors.
Two union ministers one health n another Petroleum minister, entering Casualty Ward with entire hospital staff standing in attention expedited their efforts to check the dead again but they were dead, n nothing could be done.
After issuing instructions and staying at hospital for an hour talking to doctors n students etc Bahuguna and Ray were back home.
Bahuguna talked to Delhi police commissioner and fixed our meeting for the next day. The culprit driver was caught and case registered.
Bahuguna financially helped the deceased families and wrote to the concerned authorities and on our insistence arranged a govt job in P n T for Dhyani’s younger brother who had reached Delhi the other day with the anguished old aged parents.
I fought the case for several years and attended court hearings number of times as a prime witness. The driver was penalised and Dhyani’s family must have got the compensation from the accident tribunal.
This severest of the accidental tragedy has really cursed me always as it happened on the day of my victory.
My heartfelt tributes to two young friends Dhanjay Dhyani and Pandey. I am sure they might be in heaven. I always pray to Almighty for the departed souls whenever I reminiscence this most heart touching tragic mis happening. May their sould rest in peace. It was after a year that H. N. Bahuguna as finance minister was the chief guest of the annual function of Moti Lal Nehru College ( Evening) while I was president of its students union and late Dhananjay and year ago.
My association began after this tragedy with the then Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers from 1977 to 1979, who later served as Finance Minister for a few months in 1979 under Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh. I was a regular visitor at the 5, Sunehri Bagh Road bungalow and was appointed as the president of Students for Democracy, contesting the Delhi University student union elections as a presidential candidate.
Bahuguna resigned from the Janata Party after its defeat and joined the Congress as its general secretary. He was again ousted by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi because of his links with Sanjay Gandhi, eventually winning the historic Garhwal elections in 1981 and losing from Allahabad against Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan.
Thereafter I was President of Delhi State Youth for Democracy and General Secretary of Democratic Socialist Party, Delhi and worked with him till his unfortunate death in 1989. I worked with H.N. With the support of Bahuguna, he also contested the Municipal Corporation election from Sewa Nagar as a candidate of Progressive Democratic Front.
