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The tragedy bears a haunting resemblance to the death of nine-year-old Tamanna Khatun, in Kaliganj, Nadia, almost exactly a year ago. On June 25 last year, during celebrations following a by-election victory in Kaliganj, West Bengal, Tamanna was killed after a bomb, allegedly hurled during the festivities, exploded. A political victory turned into a moment of unimaginable grief.

Now, another nine-year old child has died amid a political victory march in the state. On Wednesday (10 June) evening, Tanvir Hossain, a class IV student, reportedly collapsed after being exposed to the deafening sound of powerful firecrackers, understood to have been set off during a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) victory procession on National Highway 60 in Paschim Medinipur.

The sounds of music and a firecracker allegedly burst in the path of the scooty on which Sanjib Hossain was riding with his son, Tanvir, were so deafeningly loud that he collapsed, causing an accident in which Tanvir died. The road during the so-called celebration was also covered with thick smoke that hampered visibility, slowing traffic for hours and making commuters unsafe.

Local accounts of the events on June 10

According to local accounts, the victory procession occupied a stretch of the highway in the Salboni block, as it slowly marched by the Sundara area, playing extremely loud music, setting off high-decibel fireworks and spewing smoke. Tanvir reportedly suffered a fatal medical emergency after he and his father, Sanjib Hossain, were overwhelmed by the intense sounds of explosions.

The incident also left Sanjib seriously injured. He was admitted to Medinipur Medical College and Hospital in critical condition.

The heartbreaking death of the child has cast a pall of mourning over the area. Residents are demanding answers from administration authorities. They demand to know why police failed to stop a so-called........

© The Wire