Nineteen year old Sangipa Hajong would have been alive today had she chosen to stay in the comfort of her home in the higher grounds of Chipragaon as heavy rains lashed and the waters of Daru river began overflowing and submerging paddy fields and settlements nearby.
But, she could not bear the thought of her relatives and neighbours stranded in the rising waters and rushed out of her home to give a helping hand.
Thus, she was able to rescue two small children and a woman and get them to a safer place.
The woman was ill and shivering with cold, so she made her way through the flooded paddy fields for the second time in the hope of getting some clothes and ration.
However, within seconds the water level began rising and she found that it would be impossible to carry them with her and hopelessly began to trudge back homewards along with 11 others, all holding on to a long bamboo pole.
All of a sudden a strong gush of waters came over them and the bamboo that they were holding broke into two.
In the turmoil and amid shouts for help, nobody noticed that one of them had gone missing.
About three hours later when the waters began receding, her body was found unconscious lying head down close to a shrub in their paddy field and was taken to Ampati hospital where she was declared dead.
The deceased, Sangipa Hajong, who was the second daughter of Sunil and Suchitra Hajong, had high hopes and dreams for her future.
"She was very hard working and industrious and would even do the chores that could normally be done by men only.
She used to tell us that when she finishes her education and get a job she would purchase better farming tools for us", her father said.
Her mother recalled that till the last hours before the tragedy struck, Sangipa would play a song on her mobile and dance in front of her family members as a rehearsal for "some school function" .
Eligous Sengbat G.Momin, Principal of Ampati Sub-Divisional Higher Secondary School, of which she was a student, informed that the annual sports week of his school was due to be held from September 23 and added that she must have been rehearsing for the same.
According to him, although she was just an average student having had no proper foundation, she had worked hard, passed the internal exams and had been promoted to class XII .
She was also punctual and her attendance was good, he said.
South West Garo Hills District Administration officials have visited the bereaved family of the deceased and informed that an ex-gratia of Rs.1.5 lakh would be given to them as soon as it was sanctioned by the State Government.
It has also sent a proposal to the authorities to confer a gallantry award to the girl for her act of bravery.
Source: The Sangai Express
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