Residents throng the Gandaman Primary School in Saran on Wednesday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Chhapra/Patna, July 17: Overnight, the twin hamlets of Dharamsati-Gandaman have turned into graveyards of their children.

Most of the 22 students who died after eating a meal offered by their school are from the two villages, located around 90km northwest of Patna. The two hamlets have a combined population of around 600.

Among them was 12-year-old Rahul Ram, a sprightly kid who was known as a livewire.

“His body arrived today and I have made it a point to bury him right in front of the school building. I have done it purposely as this will always remind me and everyone else that he died just because of the insensitive and callous attitude of this state government. I will also erect a memorial in this very place which will be testimony to the fact that so many children, including my grandson, died after eating poison served in the school in the name of a meal,” Makeshwar Ram (60), the grandfather of Rahul, told The Telegraph, putting up a brave face.

As one enters the village, the sight of at least four burnt vehicles, two of them belonging to the police, is witness to the wrath of the people.

“They (the police and administration) came early in the morning. We didn’t let them enter. They just wanted to ‘complete’ the formalities. Bodies of children have been streaming in since yesterday night. Until 3am today, we received 19 bodies. There is a huge ground in front of the village and they are being buried there,” said Karam Ram, tears welling up.

The one-room Gandaman Primary School, in which students from classes I to V study, had opened around a year ago.

“This is a community building which was changed to a primary government school last year. The food, mostly consisting of only khichdi, used to be cooked in the verandah. All the bodies of the children are being buried in the open ground in front of the school. We want to know what the state government and the local administration are doing. Where are their representatives?” said Ram.

In all, 120 students studied in the school. Villagers said the school had a principal, two teachers and a cook-cum-cleaner.

“One of the teachers was on leave for almost a week. Why haven’t the police arrested the other two? We want answers and fast,” said Shanti Devi, as she tried to console two mothers who have lost their children.

Gloom has descended on the residence of Manju Devi (35), who had cooked the meal for the children.

“She also ate the same food and took ill. Her three children are also ill as are those of her family members. As many as nine of her family members, including herself, are at PMCH,” Shanti Devi said.

Ranjit Kumar, who works as a driver by profession and is a relative of Manju, was in the house trying to console the many weeping women in the family.

“It was around 2.30 in the afternoon when the children suddenly started to fall ill. Many were in school at that time. They all were rushed by their family members to the nearby primary health centres, private clinics and the Chhapra Sadar Hospital. We took Manju and seven children of the family first to the public health centre in Masrakh but there was no doctor. By the time we took them to the Chhapra Sadar Hospital, it was past 11pm. They were referred to PMCH. Some of our family members in Patna have just informed us that all the children are dead and Manju is in a critical state. The state government should tell us how to deal with the situation. This school will never see classes anymore. It is a ghost house how,” Ranjit told The Telegraph.

Two children, Mamta Kumari and Shanti Kumari, died at PMCH early this morning.

Shanti’s father Vinod Mahto, who works at a private factory in Ludhiana (Punjab), is on his way to Patna. Shanti’s grandfather Rameshwar Mahto clutched her dead body. “Hum kya kah sakte hain babu mera toh pura life hi badal gaya (My entire life has changed after the incident).”