It can only be called destiny. In the devastating floods that swept through Chishoti village, where approximately 67 precious lives were lost, around 70 to 80 children at the Upper Primary School were miraculously spared—all because they were rehearsing for India's Independence Day celebration on August 14.
The children were supposed to join their teachers at the temple for a community meal, but fate intervened. Before their rehearsal could end, disaster struck. Those who had gone to partake in the community feast were swept away by the merciless floods, but the children, practicing their patriotic performances, remained safe.
Horrific Scenes Continue to Haunt the Brave School Teacher
Hukum Chand, a teacher at the Upper Primary School, still trembles when he recalls the horror of that day. He emerged as an unsung hero during those crucial moments—thanks to his presence of mind, he immediately moved the students to a safer place.
His own brother and several relatives were claimed by the floods, leaving an unfilled void in his heart. With tears in his eyes, he told the media, "Only God knows what His will was. Our survival is nothing but His grace."
His voice breaking with emotion, Hukum Chand recounted how the children had been preparing for Independence Day for several days. On August 13, they had proudly participated in the Har Ghar Tiranga rally. August 14 was a school holiday, and the children were eager to play with their friends and join the community feast.
Rehearsal That Saved Lives
The children weren't particularly eager for another rehearsal, but with so little time left before Independence Day, the teachers insisted they continue practicing until 1 PM—right up to school closing time. Even students from classes 10 and 12, studying elsewhere in the village, had been called in to help decorate the school.
The children had prepared heartfelt skits about Sardar Bhagat Singh's life and Operation Sindoor. As the rehearsal was in full swing, a thunderous roar suddenly filled the air—like helicopters overhead. Aircraft often passed over the village en route to the Machail helipad, so Hukum Chand initially thought nothing of it.
"I assumed it was just a plane flying by," he remembered. "Then a child ran up and said, 'Sir, there's water outside the school!'"
The Moment Everything Changed
When Hukum Chand climbed onto the roof to look, his world shattered. Screams and cries for help echoed from nearby. Water and debris had engulfed everything in sight. Then began the heart-wrenching procession of parents—sobbing and calling out their children's names—as they rushed to the school. Only when they were told that all the children were safe did relief flood their terror-stricken faces.
Hukum Chand offers endless gratitude to God that the children were rehearsing for Independence Day on that fateful day.
"If the children had been at home, who knows what would have happened?" he whispers, his voice heavy with the weight of what could have been.
A Child's Tragic Fate
Eleven-year-old Arundhati, a resident of Chishoti, didn't study at this school but often came to watch rehearsals with other children her age. On August 14, instead of coming to school, she went to visit her grandparents. When the floods came, little Arundhati was swept away along with her grandfather.
Hukum Chand keeps repeating, his heart heavy with sorrow, "If only Arundhati hadn't gone to her grandfather's house that day, perhaps she would have been saved too."
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