THE UNPUBLISHED NEWS: Story of a paan vendors' poor but brilliant girl...who lost both her legs in an accident

Some news are not published but they really don't need any publication to serve their purpose.

I got a call from a desperate father who was struggling to take her daughter home from hospital which was not allowing him due to non-payment of bills. 

He was the father of a girl whose both the legs were recently amputated. 

He was a paan vendor but he set an example in todays' era when male children are considered privileged, he choose to make her girl pursue MBA instead of his male children, because his limited income as a paan shop owner could only bear the expenses of one child's study. But destiny had more tests in store for him.I wrote a story but more than that I wanted to assure the safety of the girl. Being a journalist we have some limitations, story could be published and immediate relief could be obtained but what after that...was the question which restricted the publication of this story till April 11. 

When I submitted it  on April 11, I was already sure about the things which would happen next, but unfortunately--space crunch and miscommunication--the news was not published on April 12th edition, but fortunately enough---The girl was released from hospital without any conditions----the institute of girl assured of securing her rehabilitation and payment of bills.

Submitted on April 11, but not published news

Amarjeet Singh

Being born in a poor family have never been a deterrent for 18 year old Firdaus who bypassed all the hurdles, both financial and social to get admitted at an MBA course but destiny has something more cruel for her. She lost both her legs in an accident by her own institute’s bus, as if this was not enough now the poor girl is not being allowed to go home from hospital due to non-payment of treatment money by her college administration.

Firdaus Ansari,18, daughter of Mohammed Sharif, a paan vendor, was a student of BBA, 3rd semester at Brijmohan Mishra Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences,(BITMS), Burhanpur met an accident on February 22, while she was travelling in her institute bus. The institute is owned by Amit Mishra who is relative of school education minister, Archana Chitnis.

Since then she has been admitted at the Gokuldas Hospital of the city.

"She had injuries in her spinal cord which led to the paralysis of both her legs; we are giving best treatment to her. Now physiotherapy is required may be in some time her legs get well," Dr Deepak S Kulkarni who is treating the patient told DNA.

Older in two siblings, Firdaus was good at studies so her father who owns a paan stall suffered all hardships for ensuring her studies.

"I had to pay Rs1200 per month for bus transporation we anyhow managed for the purpose we also reared animals to earn extra," father of Firdaus, Mohammed Sharif told DNA.

"The hospital is not giving discharge to her basically because the payment is not being made from the college administration. They are putting a condition that I should sign a paper where it has been written that I will not take any legal action against them then only payments would be made," he added.

"I don't have any grudge but doctors are telling that there is no guarantee when will my daughter recover under those conditions how could I sign it," he said.

The institute is owned by school education minister Archana Chitnis's brother Amit Mishra he also asked me to sign the papers, said Sharif.

For the past 15 days, Sharif whose economic condition is not good is making all the payments of medicines which are required for treatment, because hospital authorities failed to provide medicines.

The college administration made payments to the tune of Rs2.5 lakh but bills to the tune of Rs1.5 lakh are still pending, college administration has actually stopped the payments because they want that the kin of patient sign an agreement that they will not take legal action a doctor from the hospital pleading anonymity told DNA.

While talking to DNA, administration of the college assured that payments will me made at the earliest and rehabilitation would also be ensured.

"I was out of station so there has been a communication gap with the kin. But payments will me made at the earliest and we are ready to co-operate for rehabilitation of the patient," secretary of the BITMS, Anil Jain told DNA.

The hospital authorities said that treatment is being done though payments are due.

"We had a word from the doctor who referred Firdaus to our hospital and they will be coming to Indore on April 12 and hopefully issues if any will be resolved,"  director of the Gokuldas Hospital, Dr Sanjay Gokuldas told DNA.

Blatant violations of human rights..more than 10 thousand cursed to carry human faeces on their heads..

Scavenging abolished? Not yet

Santra bai picking up human faeces from Akhiyadev village of Ratlam district

(This is a news story which I did it for Free Press published on January 19, 2011)

AMARJEET SINGH

BHOPAL

More than 1600 people in the State are still cursed to carry faeces on their heads to make a living. This, despite the fact that the State Government claims to have abolished the practice long back and denies the existence of manual scavenging in the State. The Centre, too, passed a law against it in 1993.

However, the National Advisory Council (NAC) headed by Sonia Gandhi has taken up the issue.

Interestingly, social justice minister Gopal Bhargava says that the issue is related to the urban development ministry. An NAC member, on the condition of anonymity confirmed: “We have taken up the issue and are working on it”.

A sample survey conducted in 13 districts of the State, including Indore, Vidisha, Datia, Damoh, Guna, Ratlam, Dhar, Gwalior, Rajgarh, Khargone, Badwani, Burhanpur and Sagar by an NGO ‘Jan Sahas’ under its Garima Abhiyaan reveals that 1651 people are engaged in the inhuman practice of manual scavenging despite the Central Government banning the construction of dry latrines and employment of people as human scavengers through its Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines Prohibition Act, which came into force in the year 1993.

The Act provides for a penalty of Rs 2000 on persons employing people for the inhuman work of manual scavenging.

“The actual numbers are far more. This was just a sample survey. As per our estimates, around 10,000 people are working as manual scavengers across the State”, says Asif Sheikh, convener Garima Abhiyaan, of ‘Jan Sahas’ working for the cause of manual scavengers.

Sheikh further added, “It is not only related with the issue of poverty but has turned out to be a compulsion. Due to its hereditary nature, people of two communities – Valmikis, who come under SC category, and Helas, who are Muslims and come under OBC category as per the State laws -- are engaged in the malpractice”. 

Jan Sahas filed a PIL in the Supreme Court in the year 2006 replying to which the State Government said on March 14, 2006, that there were no manual scavengers in the State. Now again, in the month of January 2011, the National Advisory Council which is headed by UPA president Sonia Gandhi, has sought report on the condition of manual scavengers in the State from Jan Sahas and the members of NAC admit that the inhuman practice is still prevalent in the State.

‘UAD must know’

“It could be present in the towns. It is not practiced in the rural areas. Thus, it should come under the UAD ministry and it should be well aware of the issue”.

-Gopal Bhargawa, social justice minister, Madhya Pradesh Government

‘It’s not in my knowledge’

“It is not in my knowledge that this sort of practice is prevalent in our State. We have taken measures to eradicate it and it’s not in my knowledge that Valmikis or any other community is still engaged in any such inhuman practice. I will talk to the officials and take adequate action if any such thing is found”.

-Kunwar Vijay Shah, SC welfare minister, Madhya Pradesh

Want to rape any girl?...be a MLA

The alleged rape of a minor girl from Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district’s Shazapur village by MLA of the incumbent Bahujan Samaj Party, Purushottam Naresh Dwivedi, is giving ground to the sentiment that if you want to rape any girl and move scot free then, all you need to do is be an MLA.

The minor girl was not only raped by the MLA but the MLA offered her to his associates also. Height of inhumanity, in the words of the girl herself, “On December 10 the MLA raped me at his house. Later I was raped by his associates on the direction of the MLA. On December 11, the MLA raped me again and when I begged for mercy he told me that he would get me married with his servant Chedi. I rejected engraged over it the MLA asked his associates to continue with the rape.”

Not content with this when the girl any how managed to escape from the clutches of the MLA, he got her framed in theft case and police arrested the girl.

Not only the police arrested the minor girl but instead of keeping her in juvenile jail,  locked her up in normal police custody.

Now, after all this the politics plunged into the case, where  ironically the chief of Bahujan Samaj Party, the party which the accused MLA represents ordered the release of the girl on her  birthday.  BSP supremo as she proclaims Mayawati got the girl relased but till date no significant action has been taken against the MLA.   Thus where on  one side you are celebrating your birthday on the other trying to protect your social face.

This is not the all the story has got a lot more to say. A woman jail warden of Banda district jail where the girl was kept has alleged that the  officials are threatening her  for  giving statement  in favour of the MLA.  

The magistrate of the district has also been under scanner for pressurizing the victim to change her statement. 

Now  diverting a bit from the plight of this girl, a school teacher  Bihar’s Purnia district Rupam Pathak was in the headlines  for murdering  a BJP MLA.  Stark similarities are present in both the cases, Pathak murdered the MLA after levelling charges of rape against him. 

But,  before doing so she knocked all the doors seeking justice for herself.  Failing which, in ultimate despair she not only withdrew all the charges against the  MLA but tried to find justice for herself on her  own,  resulting into the murder  of the MLA.

What can be inferred from all this needless to say that the statement of the girls clearly reflected the feeling  of hopeless, hapless common  man when  she said, “I will follow Phulan Devi’s  footsteps if authorities sheild the legislator”.

But the major question is , will she, a minor girl of a common man be able to do so?

The war would have been easier, if there would have only one, two , three,  four , five or any countable culprits, but what if the entire systems turns against the feeble, meek,  minor  daughter  of a common man?