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Sheela Bhatt in Bhuj
As January 26 looms closer with every passing day, the residents of Kutch are reminded of the painful memories of that fateful morning a year back when devastation visited them in form of a massive earthquake.
Most Indians know of January 26 as a day of celebrations, but a palpable sense of fear is all that one feels in Kutch.
"Everyone is aware of it. We are expecting bad news," Laxmi Bhatia, a housewife in Madhapar village of Kutch, told rediff.com.
"Our neighbour have put up tents in front of their house. Like many in the town, they believe that January 26 will again bring devastation. Wherever I go people are talking about the expected earthquake on or around January 26," Manisha Joshi, a housewife in Sanskar Nagar colony of Bhuj, said.
Rumours are having a field day too in the city.
So much so that a local daily, Kutch Mitra, felt the need to publish a request to the public to keep away from earthquake related gossip.
"These are just rumours. They are unsubstantiated. There was a strong rumour that on August 16, 2001 there will be an earthquake. But nothing happened," Harish Kumar Chibber, collector of Kutch, said.
However, rationality seems to be at a premium.
"My young nephew repeatedly asks me, 'Aunty, is it true that an earthquake will strike again on 26 or 28th January?'" Hasumati Thakkar, an officer working in RTO office, told rediff.com.
Pratishtha Gor, who lost 11 of her family members on that fateful day last year said, "That killer earthquake has affected my seven-year old daughter Jimmy so much that she says 'Mummy, on January 26 Pakistani planes will kill all of us!' She is watching the news and making her own assumptions. She has developed a Pakistan phobia."
Alka Rao, a paediatrician in Bhuj said, "We are all unsure of our future. Since the last one year every time my daughter has gone to school, I have remained tense. My only worry is how would she run out of her class if an earthquake strikes again?"
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