Journalism of Courage
A year ago, he was the cynosure of all eyes. In fact, the world watched him as newspapers and television channels carried his picture, calling him the ‘miracle baby’ of Malin.
He was barely three months old then and had no clue why cameras were zooming in on him, forcing him to blink.
But on Wednesday, a year after the tragedy that claimed several of his relatives, Rudra Lembhe seems to have acquired new confidence as he moves around his tenement – at the temporary shelter near Malin – with a stick in his hand.
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As The Indian Express team focused the camera on him, Rudra did not run away. In fact, he raised the stick, apparently disliked being photographed. He then poured his anger on his cousins as he went after them. But moments later, he stood tall as his mother relieved her eight-hour nightmare after which she and Rudra were miraculously pulled out of their house which was buried in the landslide on that fateful day.
Recounting the most frightening moment of her life, Pramila Lembhe said when all of a sudden her house came crashing down, she was caught right in the middle of the fallen household items. “The roof had collapsed, all the utensils and cupboard had fallen. I slumped to the floor, but held Rudra in one hand. My other hand was buried amidst the household items and extricating it became impossible,” she recalled with moist eyes.
“I thought only our house had collapsed. I had the belief that somebody would soon come and rescue us…In the meantime, Rudra cried for sometime. I tried to make him quiet, but he wouldn’t listen..after sometime, he, however, slept. And whenever he tried to wake up, I put him to sleep. Because there was no way, I could do anything…I could not get a sip of water, or go to the toilet,” added Pramila.
Pramila’s prayers were answered “as rescuers reached within striking distance. Hearing some voices, Pramila shouted for help and was soon pulled out along with her baby. Her husband Machchindra Lembhe who was away in Pune survived, so did his parents, who were sitting outside the house when the tragedy occurred.
Meanwhile, Rudra, the mircale baby, is like a “hero” in the area. “His name is there on TV, computers and papers. Everyone who comes to Malin wants to meet him,” said his father. “In fact, everyone takes him to their house for sometime and want to tease him…then he runs after them. He has enlivened our lives when the memories of our departed souls constantly play on our minds,” said Vithal Titkare, a bank clerk.
