A heart-wrenching tragedy has unfolded in Assam’s Sivasagar district, where 13-year-old Hridip Panika lost his life while attempting to save his pet puppy from the raging floodwaters. The incident occurred in Bamun Pukhuri village under Nazira, where the floodwaters have washed away homes, fields, and livelihoods. Hridip, a Class 8 student, was the only child of Deepak and Parbati Panika.
According to his father, Hridip had brought the puppy, Borun, home when it was barely one-and-a-half months old and had cared for him every day since. The puppy had not been just another pet, and Hridip’s love for it ultimately cost him his life. When the floodwaters engulfed the village, Hridip noticed Borun being swept away by the strong current.
Without pausing to think about the danger, the teenager jumped into the swirling waters in an attempt to rescue the animal. Borun survived, but Hridip did not. The powerful current swept the boy away, and his body was recovered only after an extensive search.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the Panika family on Wednesday, offering condolences and assurances of support. However, no words could alleviate the grief of the parents, who are struggling to come to terms with the loss of their son. Deepak Panika, Hridip’s father, recalled the final moments of his son’s life, saying, ‘He was our only son.’ The Chief Minister listened quietly before assuring the family that the state government would stand by them. ’I will help you in every possible way.
I will build your house and do everything I can, but I cannot bring your son back,’ Chief Minister Sarma told the grieving parents. The Panika family’s story has emerged as one of the most heartbreaking tragedies of this year’s floods in Assam, which have claimed lives, displaced thousands, and left widespread devastation across several districts. For the Panikas, however, the disaster is no longer measured in damaged houses or submerged farmland.
It is measured in an empty room, an unfinished school life, and a silence that now fills the place where their son once lived. Even as the state government has assured the family of all possible assistance, no promise of relief can erase the void left behind by a boy whose final act was one of instinctive compassion. In a season marked by destruction and loss, Hridip’s sacrifice has become a poignant reminder that behind every flood statistic lies a family whose world has changed forever.
