PM’s healing touch for Himachal baby flood survivor: ‘Call me, if you face any problem’

Nitika turned one on August 14. The Indian Express was the first to report her tragedy.

“It felt nice when the PM spoke to me and took Nitika in his hands. It was indeed a healing touch,” said Kirna. “I did not know whether he was aware of her tragic background or was informed only today”.

She said the OM held the child for almost three to four minutes, “and she seemed comfortable throughout.” Later, PM Modi also shared photos of him holding Nitika on X.

Nitika has been living with her aunt since July 15. “She has become an integral part of my family now,” said the aunt, who has studied up to Class 12. Her son Anshul Singh, 15, is in Class 11. “My son has accepted her. He plays with her. All of us are happy now. Now we don’t want to have another child.”

Kirna’s husband Anmantran Singh, 40, is happy being the father to Nitika. “She is God’s blessing to us. Now our family is complete,” said Anmantran, a farmer who too has studied up to Class 12.

As water had started entering Nitika’s house following cloudburst on the midnight of June 30, her father Ramesh Kumar, 31, ran outside to divert the flow. Her mother Radha Devi, 24, and grandmother Purnu Devi, 59, followed. But none of them returned. Ramesh’s body was found the next day.

The district administration had contacted the victim’s family on July 3. “It took me two hours to reach there. The entire road was washed away. I had to go on foot,” Samritika Thakur, the Sub-Divisional Magistratre, Balh, who had additional charge of Gohar sub-division under which Talwara village falls, had told The Indian Express over the phone.

Like Neetika, Ramesh, too, had lost his father when he was a child. “Ramesh was only six months old when his father had died in an accident,” said Balwant Thakur, a cousin of Ramesh. Balwant, 60, was a personal security officer of former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur.

The family was dependent on Purnu’s income. “My aunt Purnu Devi was a peon in a government school. There were only seven months left for her retirement. Ramesh was into farming and didn’t earn well,” said Balwant.

Along with Kirna, Modi interacted with 14 other individuals from Mandi, Kangra, and Chamba districts who lost family members or whose properties suffered severe damage. The interaction took place in a room where Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, and several senior leaders, including BJP MPs Kangana Ranaut and Rajiv Bhardwaj, as well as almost all BJP MLAs, were present.

Nitika was declared a “Child of the State” by the Himachal Pradesh government on July 26, and she has since been enrolled under the Chief Minister Sukh-Aashray Yojana, receiving Rs 4,000 monthly assistance, with Rs 8,000 already credited to her account for July and August. The support will continue until she turns 27 years old, providing long-term care and education assistance under the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana.

Earlier, overwhelmed by the outpouring of emotions over the tragic story of Nitika, the Mandi district administration had opened two bank accounts in her name. “The people’s response to help her has been heartening. The district administration opened two accounts for her, one in the state cooperative bank and the other in the nationalised bank. While she is still with her relatives, government agencies are doing their best to take care of her. She is in safe hands,” Mandi Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan had told The Indian Express. “The accounts are pledged to the Mandi District Child Protection Officer (DCPO).”

The Facebook page of Balh Sub-Divisional Magistrate Samritika Thakur Negi had advertised the bank details. “These are pledged accounts. That means money can’t be withdrawn until she attains the age of 18,” Negi had told The Indian Express over the phone.

While one account is with the Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank Ltd (account no. 31710129093), the other is with the Punjab National Bank (account no. 0311000109067745). Now she is also getting the aid under the Sukhashray scheme, which is meant for orphaned children.

Former CM Thakur too had visited the victim’s family. “Jai Ram ji gave Rs 50,000 to the kid and a baby kit having clothes and other things,” said Balwant.