Residents of Medertari village on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra in Assam’s Dhubri district on Thursday, April 30, gathered to observe the anniversary of the 2012 Medertari ferry tragedy that claimed 44 lives, offering prayers and paying tribute to the deceased.
The ferry disaster, one of the region’s deadliest river accidents, occurred on April 30, 2012. More than a decade later, the loss remains deeply etched in the collective memory of villagers, many of whom lost parents, relatives and other loved ones.
Family members assembled along the riverbank to remember the victims and perform rituals for the departed. Residents said the arrival of April 30 each year reopens painful memories and the trauma endured by affected households.
Locals alleged the site of the disaster has been neglected: there is no memorial or visible structure marking the tragedy, they said, and repeated assurances made after the incident have gone unmet. Villagers expressed disappointment that nothing tangible has been done to honor the dead or to rehabilitate the area.
According to residents, the then Congress government had promised development measures for Medertari — including better road connectivity, improved educational infrastructure and enhanced healthcare facilities — but most of those commitments were not implemented, they claimed. Villagers also recalled that AIUDF chief and former Dhubri MP Badruddin Ajmal had announced financial support through party legislators; residents said that promised assistance did not materialise.
Over the years, political attention to the tragedy has waned, residents added, but families of the victims continue to mark the day annually to keep alive the memory of those who died. The commemorative gathering on Thursday concluded with prayers and tributes as villagers sought eternal peace for the deceased.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/assam-fourteen-years-on-medortari-ferry-tragedy-victims-still-await-memorial-and-justice-1383651-2026-04-30?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-04-30 10:37:00
