After the blaze

For the last year I have been meeting her at Delhi's Patiala Courts. I haveseen her studying the files of her case diligently. She ensures...

For the last year I have been meeting her at Delhi’s Patiala Courts. I haveseen her studying the files of her case diligently. She ensures that themembers of the aggrieved party are present at each hearing at the court.

It’s neither money nor fame which motivated her to set up her organisationafter the death of two teenaged children. Dedication and a resolutedetermination to bring about a measure of change, of improvement, brings herto the sessions court where the Uphaar fire tragedy case is being heard.

This is not a plug but a declaration of true appreciation. The entirelyavoidable loss of her two children may have shattered Neelam Krishnamurthy,but her will to fight it out till the end is amazing. “My life simplyrevolves around these two cases,” she tells me. One is a criminal case, theother civil.

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On June 13, 1997, Neelam’s son and daughter had gone to watch Border. Theeagerly awaited blockbuster had just been released that day, and they werepredi-ctably excited. “My daughter used to bunk classes to watch movies.This film, however, she decided to see with her younger brother. They werereally thick,” she begins recounting, but soon enough gets lost inthought.

Although the fire, and her children’s death by asphyxiation, broughtNeelam’s world crashing down on her and her husband Shekhar, their fightagainst the system had just begun. She started the organisation AVUT torealise their dreams. An organisation dedicated to work for the cause. Theidea was to spread the message to prevent another Uphaar in the future.

Neelam has decided to help those who require it. To honour her children’smemories, Neelam constituted scholarships in their respective schools. Themembers acknowledged her as the leader and she started visiting each andevery office personally. I remember doing my internship with the paper then,when she visited The Indian Express office in Delhi.

She was shattered but she never showed it. Her relatives did not offer helpbut the press assisted her. “If not for them I would have lost hope.”Neelam closely observed the proceedings of the criminal case against theAnsal brothers and the Uphaar management. It was through her that thenewspapers received the chargesheet when it was filed in the court. Alongwith the lawyer, hired to help the special CBI public prosecutor, shemaintained a file. Her attempt to meet the prime minister failed but hopekept her going.

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Today two years have passed and the case has not yet reached the trialstage. Neelam has not lost faith. It has become tough to survive though.What scares her is conclusion of the case. Life without children has made it“meaningless” for her, and hence there are no celebrations at her house.

Neelam has spent her two years without the kids, perusing the file. Eachwitness’s statement has been thoroughly read and examined. With her husbandshe has also read the Cinematographer’s Act and decided to file amaintenance case in the high court. “It is not money which I am fightingfor. The people responsible for it should be taught a lesson to preventanother Uphaar,” says the undeterred Neelam.

While the criminal case is yet to take off, the maintenance case is awaitingorder. “I feel as if a sword is hanging above me,” Neelam told me once,saying that how daunting it is to just wait. A few days back, however, Iheard some tired words from her. It seemed that the wait is killing her. Shesaid: “My condition is worse than a prisoner who is convicted. At least heknows his destiny. I do not even know that.”

What Neelam does not realise is that AVUT’s destiny rests with her.