Reeling under fear of return of the Saturday earthquake that killed nearly 60 people in Bihar, thousands of people are still camping outdoor, under open sky, in Patna and several parts of Bihar.
When the earth first shook on Saturday noon and then again on Sunday, panicky residents of Patna on rushed out of their homes. In no time, spacious Gandhi Maidan, Moinul Haq Stadium, and all the big and small parks were jam-packed. They spent their days and nights under the sky and, before they could go home, yet another mild tremor on Monday evening forced them to spend another night under the starry sky.
Since Saturday, when the earthquake hit the region, the scared people are scurrying for the open space everywhere. On that day, as the sun set the families with blankets, mats, pillows, flasks filled with tea or milk and tiffins started pouring in Maidan and other parks. They with horrified looks on their faces came on their cars and bikes, armed with tablets and electronic gadgets. Dreaded messages through WhatsApp continue to haunt them. The messages that went viral in those two days suggested that next morning, the sun would be blue, the moon was misshapen, and next quake would be 13.1 on the Richter scale, and then the timing for the series of tremors.
The series of tremors came but not on the given time. In Bihar, no less than two dozen tremors of mild intensity were felt in two days triggering panic and forcing people to remain out of their homes. And most of them belonged to well off families.
Ajay Singhania, a big businessman with his relatives left the cool comfort of his spacious house in Bhattacharya Road and trooped down to the Gandhi Maidan. The children were afraid of another tremor in the night so they insisted to spend the night in the open. Abhishek and his wife Sneha rushed out of their home in Kadamkuan and took refuge in Maidan. "Terrible messages are coming. We have to save our life so we are here," she gushed. Very few people went to sleep as most of them were busy chatting and gossiping or on their phones.
Dr Surendra Kumar, a cardiologist, and his family spread a sheet close to tall statue of Gandhi while Karu Ram, a cobbler, also took position nearby. Ram rued, "I live in this Maidan since a long time ago but now the big people have captured my favourite spot." The children of rich families were complaining of mosquito bites while their mothers tried unsuccessfully to ward off the monsters with hand fan or towels.
As rumours flew thick and fast at these places, women and men were seen chanting Hanuman Chalisa and Quranic verses. Some were singing bhajans and kirtans and some counting their beads. The people sitting in groups were wondering that there were very few places to take shelter. "Patna is thoroughly unplanned city and skyscrapers are coming up. It has become a concrete jungle," opined an intellectual looking elderly person at the Eco Park. Patna like many other Bihar cities falls under high risk seismic zone.
The devotees preferred to spend nights on the campus of Mahabir Mandir near Patna junction and other temples. Mahabir Mandir secretary Acharya Kishore Kunal admitted heavy footfall on two nights. After a noon prayer, Maulana Alam Qasmi, imam of Daryapur mosque said the earthquake was a sort of warning from the God. He quoted a verse from Quran, "When the earth is shaken to her utmost convulsion; And the Earth throws up her burden; And man cries 'what is the matter with her'; That day will she declare her tidings."
Very few people took risk to stay back in their homes in the night. A late night tremor even had shaken the confidence of the bravehearts. Most of them were seen carrying sheets and blankets.
In the late evening, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reached Gandhi Maidan; not to spend night there like Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav who spent nights in a tent in Kathmandu; to meet the panicked people and boost their morale. He also visited some parks in the city where people took each space for their night out and directed the administration to keep all the parks opened and provide drinking water and light there. On Sunday too, the CM made a round of those places to ensure the people that they need not worry. "How can we believe the CM or anybody that tremors will not shake the earth again," wondered Abhishek Kumar Singh, a senior official.