A 30-year-old Dalbir Singh, who played the role of Raavan at the Ramlila was among the 61 people who were killed by a speeding passenger train while watching the Ravan effigy burn at the Dussehra celebrations near Jaura Phatak (level crossing) in Amritsar on Friday.
Dalbir was returning home after receiving a medal from chief guest, Navjot Kaur Sidhu and Congress councillor Madan Meethu at the Dussehra function, when he saw the train coming. Sensing danger, Dalbir sprung into action and in a bid to save people near the tracks, lost his life.
His mother Swaran Kaur said, “My son played the role of Ram or Laxman every year in the Ramlila. This was the first time he was playing the role of Ravan. As soon as he saw the train moving towards the crowd, he ran to save people. He managed to save the lives of a few people.”
Dalbir had got married last year and has an eight-month old daughter.