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Story of a poor man at jadugoda |

How many of us complain when there is a power cut in the summer? How much do we complain when we need to go out in the summer? How many of us complain because we don't get drink cold water? How many teenagers complain when they don't get their own room? How many among us complain about being lonely because our friends and parents couldn't pay us attention? Quite a few of us complain about the above things if not all. This man doesn't complain. Even if he does, he can only complain to a plastic sheet, which has been his shelter for past four months.Santosh Patro is living in a small shelter in which he can barely move, made of plastic in a place where there is no human settlement for a radius of 1 km around him. He gets food to eat and water to drink, whenever any sympathizer feels like providing him some kind. He and his wife have worked as casual laborers in UCIL for a long period, when they were young enough to work. They had no children as is the case with many of co-villagers in.
Santosh patro was living in the village of Itchda, Jadugoda. He is suffering with a growth and infection in his leg. He has no clue as to what he is suffering from and had no clue as to what disease his wife died of. This is the case with a lot of villagers who complain that they are not given a report after the doctor apparently diagnoses their disease. The villagers who suspected it to be contagious have ostracized him out of the village. His relatives living in Tata Nagar never come to see him. This is the case with thousands of lowly wage employees who don't enjoy retirement plans. The situation is worse for UCIL laborers, who are affected by radiation, as some people suspect that his infection could in fact be cancer. Who would diagnose his ailment? His most basic right to live is not respected and protected. The companies that are adding to our national growth and welfare are not concerned about their employees' rights. Neither does civil society nor the local government shows concern for old and orphan. Who is the concerned individual or institution that would take care of such citizens? People who spend numerous amount of their wealth to please the "gods" pay a blind eye to gods' children. These gods' children are waiting for another Mother Theresa to save them. |