Mail News Service
Saraikela, Dec 22: The lockdown phases saw thousands of helping hands coming up to aid the needy and helpless humans; they were social workers, social groups, some politically motivated and some other to ensure their appearances in newsprint and electronic media. Highly projected government projects and schemes were launched to pull up the ‘economically castigated’ higher animals called mankind to give them a respectable life and living. But putting a finger to the eye is the case of Brahmatand villager, the 80 year old Pansori Oraon who pleads with a wavering tongue, “Sir, if possible make for me a red ration card, provide me with rice. Help me to meet the messiah of the Adivasis Chief Minister Hemant Soren.”
Bent with age, the eyes however, reflect the will to survive, to face all the challenges that abject poverty has in store for people of her ilk. Like the Ancient Mariner, it is ‘Alone, alone, all-all alone, alone on a wide-wide sea, never a soul tokk pity on my soul in agony.” No social worker nor any so called social activists’ teams came anywhere near or far of the woe besotted Pansori Oraon. She had none to plead for help. She was left to fend for herself in hostile conditions even during the spillover of ‘humane’ activities.
‘Old Challenger living to fight another day, every day’ Pansori Oraon had two 10 year old children who died. Her husband passed away 40 years ago. Her three family pillars of support after her husband’s demise preferred Heaven to the hell of daily living and she attributes it all to black magic. The main point is she was left alone to live and care for herself in this hostile world.
To add to her cracking kitty of woes, her mud house with terra cotta roof gave way three years ago and she has now made the village’s crumbling school building her address. During the lockdown period help and health was being looked after by the kindly species mentioned above. But none came her way. She continued as she had been, poor, ignored and scraping through to live another day. Pansari while describing a part of her sordid ‘biography’ states, “When I fell ill, the oven remained cool. I had to shut my eyes in hunger. Sleep was a distant dream with snatches of a few winks.”
Among all the ‘rosy’ government schemes, Pansori has no one to help her gate an old age or widow pension, but then, who cares? Does anyone know that this octogenarian is a part of that fragile community that is uncared for?
A genuine social activist, however, has come as God’s gift to this woman who his tottering on the dotted lines of fate. Rajesh Sahu, by a strange quirk of ‘social fate’ came to know of Pansori Oraon’s predicament. Not only did he take the old lady under his wings but provided her with all necessities. He has also provided her with shelter at his Gaushala and just to keep her engaged, he has given her the task of looking after the cows and his granaries. Rajesh said, “She is motherly and very much like a mother to me. I will look after her as long as she is alive. After all the torture she has had to undergo, she deserves a piece of comfort, assurance and above all, security.”
Pansori said in parting, “God has given me my savior. I am enjoying the bounties of life now. So what if I am all of 80 years but at least I have now seen and felt human compassion and affection.’
There could be no dearer blessing for life – the blessing Rajesh Sahu is now receiving.
