A yoga event in Indore witnessed heart-rending scenes on Friday when a retired soldier collapsed on stage, clutching the Indian flag, while delivering an enthusiastic performance on a patriotic song. Assuming that the fall was part of the act, the audience continued to clap for over a minute before one of the organisers realised that something had gone horribly wrong.
The retired soldier, Balwinder Singh Chhabra, had suffered a heart attack and he died on the spot.
A video shows Chhabra dancing to the song 'Maa Tujhe Salaam' at a free yoga camp organised by a group called the Aastha Yoga Kranti Abhiyan at Agrasen Dham in the city's Futi Kothi area. In the four-minute clip, the soldier can be seen dancing to the song, waving the Tricolour on occasion and even getting off the stage and encouraging the audience to clap along.
Around 3 minutes into the performance, he is seen swaying on the stage and then collapsing, still holding on to the Tricolour. One of the organisers picks up the flag and continues to wave it as the soldier lies on the stage and the audience continues clapping, waiting for him to get up. This goes on for over a minute before the person waving the flag realises something is wrong, walks up to Chhabra and checks on him.
An organiser, RK Jain, said the retired soldier had undergone a bypass surgery in 2008.