The Barpali Days

This blog is the Facebook of Barpali which picturise its "life" and "culture". It was a "palli" or a village a century back where the all time great Oriya poet swabhaba kabi Gangadhar Meher had taken birth. Now this bustling little town is renowned world-over for the weaving of Sambalpuri ikat handloom fabrics. Agriculture is its prime economy. And when you happen to visit this little town don't miss to taste Chaul bara.

Breaking

May 3, 2016

7:34 PM

Madhusudan Dharua : Paralyzed waist downward


Madhusudan Dharua of Kadlipali village is a Schedule Tribe (ST) person. His ancestors were dwelling in the forests. He is 38 years old and was leading life while working as a daily laborer in the agricultural fields of Remta village. During the year 2015 he fall sick with which his life was shattered. He experienced giddiness on his left leg. After few days he unable to move his legs as he was paralyzed waist downward. He was taken to different government hospitals be it Barpali, Digsira, Pandrani, Bargarh, Burla, Ulatpur and finally SCB Medical College at Cuttack. To meet the medical expenses he sold his one room house at Remta for Rs.70,000/- that was inherited from his father.  At Cuttack the doctors asked him to deposit around Rs.80,000 /- (US $ 1,200) to get one emergency surgery. But by this time he turned to be a bankrupt. He returned to his village helplessly. He shifted to Kadlipali village and started living in a dilapidated house of a distant relative. His wife Basanti Dharua took the responsibility to manage the home. To support her sick husband and two school going daughters Basanti Dharua started doing sundry jobs in the agricultural fields.

His elder daughter Shivani is 10 years old and studying in Class 5th, where as the younger daughter Rajani is studying in Class 3rd. The only source of succor of this family is the Ration Card that was issued by Dept. of Civil Supplies, Odisha State Government. Basanti gets 20 kgs of rice at a price of Rs.1 per kilogram. She cooks rice two times a day to feed her children. Since vegetables are too expensive in the summer they eat Basi Pakhal with raw onion and salt.  As they consume only rice three times a day this 20kgs of rice that is given by Dept. of Civil Supplies of Odisha falls short. Every month Basanti need to procure another 10kgs of rice from the market at a cost of Rs.20/- per kilogram. For some there seem no end to the drudgery in life. His postal address is :
MadhusudanDharua, Uppar Pada, Village : Kadlipali, PO : Lenda,     Via : Barpali, Dist. Bargarh, Odisha, India                                                 Cell # 91-73-269-41107

If you wish you can speak to Madhusudan Dharua on his Cell # 91-73-269-41107. He could speak Sambalpuri and Odiya fluently. He can speak broken Hindi as well, but no English. Madhusudan is not a computer literate person hence no email or Facebook id. In case you want to forward any help to Madhusudan Dharua you may ask the writer E.Kiran Mohan at kiranbima@gmail.com to make the needed arrangements.

The mother Basanti is worried about their two daughters Shivani and Rajani. Instead of worrying about the immediate priority i.e. education, she is rather worried how to get her children marry when they grow up. She has left with no tears in her eyes, only gloomy vision.

This writer is thankful to Dharmaraj Singh Bariha the other tribal person of Barpali who brought this issue into his knowledge.


Your little help could feed this family for a month. His wife got a bank account, here the details : 
Basanti Dharua 
Bank of Baroda 
Saving A/c # 39790100006458 

Barpali Branch
IFSC Code : BARB0BARAPA
The 5th character is a digit – zero

E.Kiran Mohan (The Writer)
C/o.Dr.E.R.Rao (MD)
Tehsil Chowk,
At\PO : BARPALI – 768029
Dist.Bargarh, Odisha, India

Cell # 91 99 371 20565