The refusal of a newly married woman to make any compromise on her demand for a toilet in the sasural (house of the in-laws) led to the suicide of her husband at Omalur village in Tamil Nadu’s Salem district.
Deepa and S Selladurai, who were in love for a long time, got married on September 23 with the blessings of their parents. But on Monday, Deepa left the house of the in-laws allegedly because the absence of an individual toilet.
Though her husband and his parents pleaded with her to stay back, Deepa was adamant in her stance against open defecation. She left the husband and his family and told them that she would come back once they construct a toilet in the house.
Selladurai, upset over the development, committed suicide on Wednesday and his body was found in a nearby well on Thursday. It is reported that Selladurai could be the first “martyr” in Tamil Nadu over the demand for individual toilet.
Salem has been declared “open-defecation-free district” in 2011 itself as part of the Clean India Mission, years before Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.
“It is shocking that though they knew each other for years, Selladurai did not tell his fiancée that there was no individual toilet in his house and open defecation was the only way,” said Saravanan, a relation of Selladurai.
Rohini Bhajibhakare, district collector, had ordered a probe into the incident and has asked the Block Development Officer to make an on-the-spot study about the sanitary conditions of Omalur village.
Tamilissai Sounderarajan, Tamil Nadu BJP chief expressed her shock over the death of Selladurai. “Reached Chennai midnight after Tirunelveli agitation. Proceeding now to Delhi by early morning flight. Distressed to hear suicidal death of newly married man for want of toilet for wife! My visionary PM’s financial help to build toilet in every house not reached rural TN is sad,” tweeted Sounderarajan who is campaigning for Nobel Peace Prize for Prime Minister Modi.