Make it happen, the theme of the International Women’s Day 2015, looks to be uninspiring and non-result yielding for the widows of Cuttack district’s Narasinghppur block, whose husbands have died due to kidney ailments in recent years, as their traumatic living conditions are yet to receive attention from the Government. “The killer disease has made us hapless forever. The inspiring theme is meaningless for us as we are still to receive proper attention of the Government, what to say about the support,” rued some widows on the occasion of the Women’s Day here.
As many as 30 young women in Routabhuin village and over 25 women in Durgaprasad village under the block have turned widows due to the killer disease in the last five years. But, neither the Government nor others concerned have paid any attention to the persisting problem. Among the victims the percentage of male members is higher than that of women. Deaths of married males manifold the trauma of their women counterparts due to gender discrimination prevailing in the society.
“Women not only loss respect and dignity, but get ill-treated by village touts for their helplessness. The disease has created another social malaise which manifolds women plights further,” said a social activist. Though late, a local NGO called SHARP has brought the issued to the notice of the Prime Minister’s Office, Chief Minister’s Office, the Human Rights Commissions, and the Governor. Even it has filed a PIl in the High Court seeking its intervention to save loss of lives. Though the Government has issued identity cards to the kidney-ailed patients but to no use, alleged some of these card holders.
They said they only get iron tablets at irregular intervals. A dialysis machine and a mini-analyser machine installed in the Narsinghpur medical have remained idle due to lack of technicians. On Friday, 38-year-old Prakash Behera of Kamaladeipur village died due to the disease. According to information, about a hundred of male youths of villages like Durgaprasad, Bagadharia, Padmapur, Hatiapalli have died in the last 10 years living their wives widowed.
“We have not yet received any assistance from the district administration and under the NFBS,” said Nirupama Nath, wife of late Pabitra of Narsinghpur town, who died two and half-a-year ago. She alleged that her widow pension for 28 months has been hijacked by some local touts. She said though she had been to local MlA Debi Prasad Mishra to seek assistance for ailed husband Pabitra, he did not listen and Pabitra closed his eyes.
Kuntala Nayak (56), a widow of Routabhuin, narrated her plight stating that she lost her husband and all the four brother-in-laws (younger brothers of her husband) in the last five years and her family has become a matriachial one. Due to poverty, their children have left schools and work hither and thither for food. Women here could not be empowered unless and until politicians intent a positive attitude and give them supporting hands for their sustainable development, viewed intellectuals.