Mohan Kuthar
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Mar 8: A girl who grew in solitary confinement after losing mental balance due to a catastrophe which took away the life of her dear sister, has grown into a woman during the last 15 years. A team led by BJP zilla panchayat member representing Someshwar constituency here, Dhanalakshmi, visited her home on Monday March 7, brought out the woman from the dingy and dark environs of her room, and admitted her into rehabilitation centre. It is hoped that she will regain her health both physical and mental, and join the mainstream.

Beena and Anusha were the children of Gopal and Swarnalata couple from Kulur here. In course of time, Swarnalata began to live along with her two daughters, with her mother Jalajakshi, living near Someshwar railway gate. 

Anusha was a student of St Ann's English Medium School in the city. On the fateful day of January 21, 2000, as many as 247 students of the school had been led to Pilikula Nisargadhama on a trip by school authorities. During this trip, a boat carrying 23 students capsized in the pond at Pilikula. 18 were rescued, but five students, Anusha K, Ashwini, Sushma Nayana, Rovina Vaz and Prajn drowned in the pond.

This catastrophe shocked Beena, who was very close to her younger sister. Her communication with friends and family members gradually declined. Within a year, Beena, who was in SSLC then, lost her mental balance, and began to toss things around and even attack her mother without reason. As both her mother and grandmother found it impossible to calm her down, and her temper tantrums continued, they admitted Beena into Father Muller Medical Hospital for treatment. However, treatment failed to improve her condition, and it was impossible to arrange for stay of a person with Beena at the hospital. Therefore, she was got discharged and brought back home. Beena continued her violent behavior, after which she was admitted into a private hospital at Deralakatte. As the situation did not improve there too, Beena was brought back, and finding it impossible to control her, was confined to a room. Beena was provided food and other necessities within the confines of her room thereafter.

During the door to door visit as part of election campaign, BJP candidate from Someshwar constituency, Dhanalakshmi and a team of BJP activists accompanying her noticed the pitiable condition of Beena. During this visit, Dhalakshmi promised the family to get Beena admitted into rehabilitation centre. To meet this promise, Dhanalakshmi and several BJP activists visited the home of Beena, who is 29 now, pacified her, and admitted her into Paschim Rihab rehabilitation centre at Nehru Nagar, after taking her in a car belonging to Rajesh Uchchil, president of Someshwar panchayat.

The family belongs to Mogaveera community. None of the organizations had come forward to help the distressed family so far. Both Beena's mother and grandmother are sick and they are unable to look after Beena. Economically too the family is in a crisis. Locals feel that relatives of the family and leaders from the community should come forward to help the family and to give Beena a new lease of life.

Zilla panchayat former vice president, Satish Kumpala, block BJP president, Chandrashekhar Uchchil, Someshwar gram panchayat president, Rajesh Uchchil, taluk panchayat member, Ravishankar, and some other people were present during the said visit.

Paschim Rihab rehabilitation centre representatives said that they are happy at the fact that people's representatives took initiative to bring a mentally unsound girl out of her confinement and admitted her here. They expressed confidence about being able to improve her health condition, noting that such patients show dramatic improvement when they get proper treatment. Director of the centre, Rohit, said that the centre stands to serve not only patients with psychological problems, but also others.

Dhanalakshmi said that her eyes welled with tears when she came across the helpless condition of the family and Beena during electioneering. "Both the aged women were not in a position to care for Beena. Being a social worker, I knew about the people running this rehabilitation centre. I held discussions with them, and after they agreed, got Beena out of her room and admitted her here," she explained.