'Missed Twice, Unlucky To Board The Final Bus': Cousin Recalls Tragic Fate of Jaisalmer Journalist, No Diwali For Kin

Jaisalmer: What could have been another routine journey to Pokhran turned fatal for Rajendra Singh Chauhan and his last. Had it been another miss for Rajendra Singh, his life could have been saved.

A journalist from Jaisalmer, who was well-known in the small but closely connected and unified group of media persons in the Golden City, a place that sits comfortably at the heart of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, became one of the 21 victims of the Jaisalmer bus inferno on Tuesday.

Rajendra, 50, was en route to Pokhran for an event when the unthinkable happened. According to Rajendra’s maternal cousin, Ummed Singh Tanwar, Rajendra had missed two buses that day before boarding the ill-fated one. With the help of his son, Rajendra managed to stop the bus near the railway station.

Little did they know that this would be the last journey he would take. Rajendra’s son, Bhavyajeet Singh, had dropped his father off at the station on his bike, unknowingly becoming part of the final memory they would ever share together. "He stopped the bus near the railway station and, with the help of his son, boarded the bus. Little did he and we know that it would be his final bus journey," a visibly shaken Ummed said.

A pall of gloom before Diwali

Tragically, Rajendra’s family had been eagerly preparing for Diwali, a time they had hoped to spend together in joy. But the sudden and horrific loss has turned their festive spirit into an unbearable sorrow. "His two sons, Bhavya, 17, and his 12-year-old younger brother, now face the world without him. The tragedy forever robbed of the love and guidance they so cherished," added Ummed.

Chauhan's media friends are in mourning, finding it difficult to come to terms with the tragic loss. Colleagues remembered him as a vigilant, impartial, and sensitive journalist. Several journalistic organisations have described the accident as an irreparable loss to the field of journalism and expressed condolences to the bereaved family.

In addition to journalism, Chauhan was also active in sports. He was a good football and basketball player, his kin recall. His brother, Mahendra Singh Chauhan, is in the medical profession and another brother, Devi Singh Chauhan, is a former councillor.