MYSURU: Nearly five years after a night of helplessness that came to define one of the darkest pandemic chapters in the country, hope is finally knocking on the doors of families who lost their loved ones in the Chamarajanagar oxygen tragedy.
For Sowmya, the wait has been long, uncertain, and painful. Her husband Doddaiah was like any other father quietly determined to give his children a better future through education. But fate intervened cruelly when he contracted COVID-19 and became one among the 35 victims who died gasping for oxygen that fateful night in Chamarajanagar.
What followed was a relentless struggle. Left to fend for her family, Sowmya spent the last five years taking up odd jobs just to ensure two meals a day and keep her children in school. Against all odds, she held on.
Today, her perseverance stands vindicated as her son Shashank, now in the final year of his engineering, is set to receive a government job. This is not an isolated story.
Across Chamarajanagar district, families who endured similar loss and hardship are now on the brink of long-awaited relief. On April 21, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to distribute official government appointment orders to over 25 eligible members of such bereaved families at a special event in Gundlupet.
This marks the first phase of the government’s commitment, with 25 beneficiaries identified based on qualifications and eligibility. Many of them will be appointed to roles at the Chamarajanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS), offering not just employment but also the dignity of working within their home district.
For many families, the memories of that tragic night remain raw. The trauma of watching loved ones struggle for breath without oxygen continues to haunt them.Yet, this gesture based on the report of the committee that probed the tragedy and following cabinet approval by the state government, it is being seen as more than just employment but as an answer of accountability, and a step towards healing.
“Only god knows how we struggled to eke out living over the last five years. With the demise of the only earning member, we had lost all hope. My son had to quit his degree for one year. I did all odd jobs and finally our demands are seeing the light. My son will be receiving the work order for the group-D post at CIMS,” said Sowmya.
Most of them have got group-D posts based on their qualification while a few have received driver posts. During his visit to Gundlupet taluk in Chamarajanagar during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had personally met the grieving families, offering condolences and assurance.