'I Can Rebuild Your House, But...': Himanta's Words To Parents Of Boy Who Died Saving Puppy In Assam Floods
News india 'I Can Rebuild Your House, But...': Himanta's Words To Parents Of Boy Who Died Saving Puppy In Assam Floods 'I Can Rebuild Your
News india 'I Can Rebuild Your House, But...': Himanta's Words To Parents Of Boy Who Died Saving Puppy In Assam Floods 'I Can Rebuild Your House, But...': Himanta's Words To Parents Of Boy Who Died Saving Puppy In Assam Floods Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: August 05, 2026, 23:48 IST The Assam Chief Minister met the family of 13-year-old Ridip Panika, who lost his life rescuing his three-month-old puppy Borun from floodwaters in Sivasagar. Borun, the three-month-old puppy rescued by 13-year-old Ridip Panika before he was swept away by floodwaters, looks towards his rescuer's photograph as Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visits the grieving family in Sivasagar. (IMAGE: NEWS18) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday visited the flood-ravaged home of Deepak and Parbati Panika, whose 13-year-old son Ridip Panika died while rescuing his pet dog from the raging floodwaters.
Listening to the grieving parents recount the tragedy, Sarma paused before telling them, “I can rebuild your house, but I cannot bring your beta (son) back." Throughout the visit, Borun, the family’s three-month-old Belgian Shepherd Laekenois puppy whose life Ridip had saved, remained in the Chief Minister’s arms. Sarma gently patted the puppy as it looked around the room, seemingly searching for the young boy who had pulled him out of the floodwaters only days earlier. His rescuer would never return. Ridip, a Class VII student from Bamunpukhuri village under Nazira subdivision in Sivasagar district, jumped into the swollen waters after Borun was swept away when floodwaters entered the family’s home. He managed to bring the puppy back to safety but was himself dragged away by the current.
Rescue teams later recovered his body. For Deepak and Parbati Panika, the floods first destroyed the home they had spent years building and then claimed the life of their only child. No parent can prepare for such grief. During the Chief Minister’s visit, a photograph of Ridip draped in a traditional Assamese gamosa stood inside the house, while Borun rested nearby. Sarma assured the family of all possible government assistance but acknowledged that no relief could compensate for the loss of their son. Ridip’s death has become one of the defining human stories of this year’s Assam floods. His final act—risking his own life to save a helpless animal—has resonated across the state, even as floodwaters continue to displace thousands and damage homes.
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