Tripura govt announces job for man who stood in front of a speeding train to save lives

Head of a family of six members, Swapan Debbarma lives on a hillock which oversees the railway tracks that connects Silchar railway station with Agartala railway station. He is a poor tribal ‘jhumiya’ or shifting farmer who managed to fill his platter by selling traditional forest products like firewood, bamboo shoots etc in local market.

The Dharmanagar-Agartala passenger train barely left Ambassa railway station on June 15 when the train driver saw a man standing on railway tracks, frantically waving his shirt. A young girl was also seen standing rock solid in front of the man. Somati Debbarma didn’t leave her father’s side during his daredevil attempt to save the speeding train which would have otherwise rolled into a gorge.

Due to torrential rains since few previous days, soil and stone poling beneath the railway tracks had given away a couple of yards from there. Swapan and his daughter were later invited in the state Assembly and were given a standing ovation by members of both Treasury and Opposition Benches. The state Assembly unanimously passed a proposal to recommend Swapan’s name for President’s Medal for Bravery in June.

Eyeing at his poor financial conditions, the state government has decided to recruit him as a Group D employee. Swapan could study till the third standard only but the government has granted him relaxation on education qualifications, treating it as a special case.