Silvester D'Souza

Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Jun 29: It is surprising that in this modern age, there are humans who have been living in shoddy sheds made up of pieces of tarpaulin sheets in some parts of this taluk. It comes as a shock to see that a lady who is in the last leg of her life has been living in one such shed, braving wind, lightning and heavy rain which even people living in proper houses find hard to withstand. This incident makes the civilian society to hang its head in shame. The story of the lady is so pathetic that it would be difficult to withhold tears which roll out of one's eyes.

The lady, Santhu Bai, who belongs to Kudubi community, has been living in such a wretched shed at Kovinagudde near Mavinakodlu in a hamlet named Kullunje near Shankaranarayana. She lives here with her daughter, a granddaughter, and a son who is plain innocent. Cattle cared for by Santhu Bai too have been living with her. But the way the three women live there is sure to shake the conscience of even people with merciless hearts.

Santhu has been carrying on with her life under the torn sheets of tarpaulin and inside the broken shed. It is obvious that abject poverty does not permit this family to improve its standard of living. The whirlwind of poverty has not been allowing them to get moving on the road to progress. Without caring to the fact that the modern society is busy with its own din and has no time to spare for this family which has been facing dire straits, the family blows off their kerosene-lit lamps at sunset and goes to sleep.

There is no proper road to reach the shed of the family, and the shed itself is devoid all kinds of basic facilities. Although the gram panchayat is prepared to help the family to own a house under the 'Ashraya' scheme, technical hitches have stopped the family from owning a house. A sight at the shed in which Santhu, who looks like a bundle of bones covered in skin, lives is enough to feel pity for the family. No one seems to know why the panchayat failed to even provide a proper roof over the old lady's head so far. It is also surprising that people who generously donate for various causes have not extended help to this poor family. There are humanitarian organizations and systems which are meant to help such people but in this case, none have done anything.

Now, taluk panchayat member, Umesh Shetty Kalgadde, has come forward to do something for this family. He has spread the story of the family through social websites. The heart-rending story of the old lady has been making lot of rounds. One hopes that the district administration also wakes up to its responsibility and helps this family.

Udupi district has won recognition as being fully free of open defecation. But the officials perhaps have failed to note that people having means have built toilets and innocent people like Santhu Bai have not. Every panchayat has such families under them. Are the panchayats shirking from their responsibilities? If not, how else could they declare themselves as free of open defecation, turning a blind eyes to the plights of Santhu Bai and such families which can be found under every gram panchayat in the district?