Tripura Unsung Heroes - Swapan Debbarma & His Daughter Can't Encash Rs 3 Lakh Cheque as They Don't Have a Bank Account
The father-daughter duo has been acknowledged and felicitated by several top officials in the last few days.
Tripura, June 25: The unsung heroes of Tripura-Swapan Debbarma and his young daughter Somati has shot to fame after averting a major train mishap from happening. The father-daughter duo has been acknowledged and felicitated by several top officials in the last few days. According to a Times of India report, Swapan's daily incomes have barely touched Rs 100, and his source of income is from selling bamboo shoots and forest produce that he collected every day.
Post getting recognition and awarded for their act of bravery, Swapan has got about Rs 70,000 in cash and more than Rs 3 lakh in cheques; however, he is clueless on what to do with the cheques because he doesn't have a bank account.
The incident took place on June 15, during the heavy rainfall. It was then that a large chunk of mud under the Agartala-Dharmanaga rail track was washed away in the Atharamura hill range. Swapan noticed it and wanted to inform the railway authorities, but there were no means in which he could. So he decided to wait, along with his daughter so that they could alert the train about the danger spot. Soon, a train from Dharmanagar with several passengers arrived, and Swapan along with his daughter took out a piece of cloth and started running on the tracks, risking their lives. The train immediately stopped, and a major accident was thus averted.
They both became an internet sensation and cricketer Virendra Sehwag had also tweeted saying- "Not all superheroes have a cape, some have a towel. Meet Swapan Debbarma who saved a train accident between Ambassa & Agartala. He spotted a derailed track & jumped onto the track, waved his towel, stopped the train from an accident & saved thousands of lives. Such heroes must be rewarded."
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 25, 2018 12:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).