KANPUR, July 16, 2013: The government finally declared the missing pilgrims of Uttarakhand as dead on Monday. Many families in the city who have lost their kin in the tragedy had a mixed reaction on this statement. In many homes, the family members still have hope to meet the lost members. In many cases, the people are hoping against hope.

It has been a month since disaster struck in the hilly state. Panic gripped the people awaiting news of the near and dear ones, who had been to Char Dhaam Yatra in June, when the calamity took place.

For the city people, losing someone in a natural death is a big blow but not knowing what happened to them is an added emotional pain. This is not the feeling of a single or few families here, as more than a dozen families are waiting to meet the kin. In many cases, more than 10 to 12 people of a family or a social group are missing and considering them dead is not easy for them at all.

For Jeetendra Dwivedi, meeting his wife Sharda and daughter Yashi is his only. This courageous man survived for more than a week in the flood affected area with his son shivering in fever to search for his wife and daughter but unfortunately came back with a hope of their survival. "I am still hopeful to see Sharda and Yashi, who will tell me how they cheated death. They will come back," he said.

The survivor also expressed concern on not having any news of the other members of his group who had been to Kedarnath on June 14.

The other members of his group are RC Gupta and his wife, a resident of Goba Garden. Chandrakali Awasthi (70) and Preeti Saxena (42) of Barra are also missing.

Bittan Saini (49) and Nidhi Saini (20) (mother and daughter) from Parmat, who were a part of this group, are missing since June 16. Elderly couple Radha Krishna Shukla (70) and Sarojini Shukla (64) from Barra are also missing.

Hope and hopelessness is also prevailing in the minds of the surviving members of Tripathi family in Govindnagar. This family lost nine members in Uttarakhand.

Akhilesh Tripathi, a PWD official, lost his wife, son, three daughters and daughter-in-law. Two other relatives of this family who have accompanied them in the Yatra are also missing.

"I have no clue about my entire family. It is the biggest curse of my life that all the young family members are missing while God had spared me to witness it," he said.

These families did everything within their capability to find their loved ones. All these efforts proved futile. Some families still dream of finding their loved ones while the others have lost hope.

As per the official records of district administration, more than 65 people are missing from the city."The uncertainty is more difficult to bear than certain knowledge of losing our loved ones. The turmoil within is very disturbing as it is hard to accept a bad news without any proof," psychiatrist Vipul Singh, met many survivors, said.

Source: The Times of India, DT. July 16, 2013.