The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Words fail to drive the pain away

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Wednesday, Feb 20, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Words fail to drive the pain away

S.Ramu

–PHOTO: SINGAM VENKATA RAMANA

Grief-stricken: Kola Yelamanchamma in Aaga Mothkur of Vemulapally mandal in Nalgonda district.

AAGA MOTHKUR (NALGONDA DT.): At this twilight age, it is a rude shock for Kola Yelamanchamma. And, residents of this tiny village in Vemulapally mandal cannot find words to console her.

Every thing was hunky-dory for Yelamanchamma till Saturday morning. She was busy making preparations for a family function at Settipalem at her daughter’s home and was expecting her sons to join her in a couple of hours later.

She woke up only to receive a phone call, which literally served a death blow on her and her family members. The festive atmosphere was replaced by a pall of gloom. The eldest among her four sons—Kola Muttaiah, 30, his wife, Nagamma, 25 and their only son Sailu, 12, Yelamanchamma’s second daughter-in-law Nagalaxmi, 24—met with an unnatural death in a road accident in the fog-filled morning. Muttaiah’s daughter Sravani, 10, sustained serious injuries.

Deep shock

A lorry had hit the auto-rickshaw in which the family was travelling from Aaga Mothkur to Settipalem to attend the important family function. Unable to bear the loss, Nagalaxmi’s husband is still in deep shock. Lingaiah, the family head, could come to terms with the tragedy but Yelamanchamma is not.

“I am unable to bear this. What sin did I commit to get such a colossal punishment?” she questioned everybody, who called on her to offer their sympathies. Those who called on her could hardly control their emotions.

“How can we console the elderly woman? She is heartbroken,” the village sarpanch Mosin said with tears in his eyes. The Union Minister S. Jaipal Reddy too was visibly upset while interacting with the family members. Time heals the wounds, they say. But, it would take a lifetime for Yelamanchamma’s family to get out of the shock and trauma caused by the nasty accident on the Narketpally—Addanki highway.

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