Kailasahar, Aug 23: A heart-wrenching tragedy struck Jamtail Bari ADC Village in Tripura when a two-and-a-half-year-old girl lost her life in an incident reportedly linked to a mobile phone.
The incident occurred Jamtali under Chandipur Block in Kailasahar on Saturday. The death of little Sonakshi Debbarma has plunged the entire community into mourning.
Jamtail Bari ADC Village, situated in Ward No. 2 of Morachhara—about 20 kilometers from Kailasahar town—is home to Sonakshi’s parents, Khichukrai Debbarma and Chandini Debbarma, who survive as daily wage laborers. The couple has four sons studying in government school residing at hostels, while Sonakshi, their youngest and only daughter, stayed at home and attended the local Anganwadi center regularly.
On Saturday, tragedy unfolded when Chandini, bedridden with fever, stayed home with Sonakshi. Khichukrai had gone out for work in the morning, leaving mother and child at home.
As Chandini slept, Sonakshi wandered out alone. According to villagers, the child had been watching videos on her father’s Android phone. Distracted by the device, she walked toward a nearby paddy field. The phone slipped from her hand into a drain, and in an attempt to retrieve it, Sonakshi fell into the drain and drowned.
The shocking incident has reignited debates in the community about the impact of mobile phones on young children, especially in vulnerable households where parents struggle to provide constant supervision.
Her lifeless body was soon discovered by MGNREGA workers, sparking panic and grief in the village. On hearing the news, Khichukrai rushed back, recovered his daughter’s body, and took her to Unakoti District Hospital, where doctors declared her dead. Later that afternoon, Sonakshi was cremated amid an outpouring of grief from villagers.
The bereaved father alleged that no local officials or representatives of the administration visited the family following the incident. Living in abject poverty in a fragile bamboo hut, he lamented that he had never received a government house or any form of state assistance. “Any help would have made a difference to us,” he said in despair.
Though Khichukrai refrained from directly blaming the device, villagers strongly believe the mobile phone played a central role in the tragedy. They recall Sonakshi as a cheerful and affectionate child, cherished by all in the village.
While no officials turned up, senior BJP leader Himangshu Das from Chandipur Assembly Constituency visited the family, expressed condolences, and enquired about the circumstances of the death, sources said.
The shocking incident has reignited debates in the community about the impact of mobile phones on young children, especially in vulnerable households where parents struggle to provide constant supervision.
