Several school students fell ill after participating in the Independence Day parade at Kolkata ‘s Red Road on Friday. A total of 39 students, who participated in the parade at the Red Road, fell ill, following which they were taken to the state-run SSKM Hospital.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who was the chief guest at the 79 th Independence Day celebrations met the children at the hospital. The Chief Minister said that the children faced a little difficulty in the hot and humid conditions but there was nothing to worry about.
“Due to the hot and humid weather along with the rains, some of them suffered dehydration. Now everyone is okay and stable. They were served breakfast earlier. Now, they have been served lunch,” Ms. Banerjee added.
The children who participated in the parade were from different schools in Kolkata. “I have pampered everyone by offering them sweets,” she said. Ms. Banerjee said that the hair of many girl students was tied which she untied so that they can feel comfortable. “Seeing one fall ill, others also fell sick. It is a mental matter. But now everyone is fine,” she said.
Earlier in the day in a social media post, the Chief Minister paid homage to the icons of Bengal’s Renaissance from Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Rabindranath Tagore. She also recounted the names of revolutionaries and freedom fighters from the state who fought against foreign powers and against injustice and oppression.
“In days to come, our struggle to uphold the honour of every citizen will continue on the path shown by these pioneers. Our goal is to build the golden nation that our freedom fighters dreamt of… I am certain in this struggle, the people will stand by our side,” Ms. Banerjee posted on social media.
Published – August 16, 2025 03:17 am IST
