Salboni: 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 10According 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 vote victory procession on a national highway with “DJ music” blaring and powerful fireworks.They also want to know whether prior permission had been obtained from the administration for the procession and whether safety measures were in place. Many are also asking a painful question: How did a political celebration end in the tragic death of a nine-year old child? And who will ultimately be held accountable for this loss?What kind of procession was it?A BJP victory procession allegedly moved along National Highway 60 on Wednesday afternoon. Many participants were seen wearing masks bearing the face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while many were also covered in saffron-coloured powder. Supporters danced to the blaring beats of DJ music as the noisy procession progressed through the area.According to the eyewitnesses, the loud music was repeatedly drowned out by the explosive sounds of powerful firecrackers being set off along the route. Thick clouds of smoke soon engulfed the highway, severely reducing visibility.“The entire road was covered in smoke. It became almost impossible to see anything,” recalled Akash Mitra, a resident of the Kuikota area of Medinipur town, describing the events of that day.He alleged that the celebrations by BJP workers and supporters effectively brought traffic on the national highway to a standstill. Long queues of vehicles were left stranded as motorists struggled to move through the smoke-filled stretch of road.“Numerous vehicles were stuck for a long time. Nobody could pass through,” Mitra said, describing scenes of heavy congestion and disruption along the busy highway.According to local sources, the BJP victory procession began on Wednesday afternoon from the Benachapra football ground under the Bankibandh Gram Panchayat area of Salboni, which falls within the Medinipur Assembly constituency.Residents said the distance between the football ground and Saidpur market is barely 500 meters. However, the procession reportedly took nearly two hours to cover this short stretch.Locals attributed the delay to the continuous dancing by supporters to the music blaring from the sound systems, and the repeated bursting of high-decibel firecrackers along the route. According to several eyewitnesses, firecrackers were being set off at frequent intervals, and participants turned an ordinary drive of a few minutes into a prolonged procession. The extended celebrations drew large crowds and caused significant disruption, area residents said.How Tanvir got caught up in the victory marchAt Saidpur market, Sanjib Hossain runs a small electronics shop. On that afternoon, after closing his shop, he was returning to his home in Saidpur village for lunch, riding a scooter with his nine year old son Tanvin Hossain seated behind him.According to the locals, the volume of music and frequency of firecracker explosions increased significantly after the victory procession entered Sundara, a locality with a substantial minority Muslim population.Eyewitness alleged that at one point, two powerful explosive firecrackers were set off directly in front of Sanjib Hossain’s scooty. The sudden blasts reportedly startled the father and son, causing young Tanvir to be thrown from the vehicle and collapse on the road.After Tanvir fell, froth bubbled from his mouth, said eyewitnesses. There were other visible injuries on his face, locals said. Residents rushed Tanvir and his father to Salboni Super speciality hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Sanjib, too, was later admitted to Medinipur Medical College Hospital. Doctors reportedly found that three of his ribs had been fractured in the incident.The victory march on June 10, said to have been led by the BJP and its supporters. Inset: nine-year-old Tanvir, brought dead to hospital. Photos: By arrangement.Lying in his hospital bed and struggling to hold back tears, Sanjib recalled the terrifying moments leading up to the tragedy. “After that deafening explosion, I cannot remember anything clearly,” he said. “All I remember is hearing the massive sound and then a lorry coming from behind and hitting us. After that, I fell to the ground.”His voice broke repeatedly as he spoke, mourning the loss of his son while trying to piece together the events that turned an ordinary journey home into a devastating tragedy for his family.Locals demand answersThe incident raised a number of questions among local residents. Many are asking how a political victory procession was allowed to occupy and disrupt traffic on a national highway during the intense summer heat, and whether the necessary administrative permissions had been obtained beforehand.Residents have also expressed concern over the nature of the fireworks allegedly used during the procession. Some question why high-intensity explosive firecrackers were being set off and demand a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of nine-year old Tanvir.Speaking to the media, Paschim Medinipur Superintendent of Police (SP) Papiya Sultana described the incident as “extremely tragic”. “It a deeply unfortunate incident. We are examining how it occurred and determining who, if anyone, may be responsible,” she said.Meanwhile BJP MLA Shankar Guchhait told reporters that there was no connection between the incidents – the death and injury to the son and father and the BJP’s celebration.However, many residents of the area remain unconvinced. As grief grips the people, they demand a comprehensive investigation to establish the exact sequence of events and determine whether any lapses or acts of negligence contributed to the tragedy.