TULSI MEHER - Life on the edge

In Hindu scriptures the  “tulsi” herb or the holy-basil is considered to be the most sacred plant on earth. Its presence in a home keeps its occupants healthy. But the reality is different with the life of Tulsi Meher of Barpali town, Orissa.

Tulsi Meher, 35 years or so old woman is a polio victim since her tender age. Her both legs have been crippled because of this dreaded disease. She has got very restricted movement within her home. She leads her life in a hut under the care of her old-age mother in the Chammar-para. She is out-casted by the society as she is a chamar-meher, a schedule-caste. She is father-less and don’t have a brother. They are land-less family.

She gets Rs.200 ( US $ 4 ) a month as physical handicap stipend from the NAC office, Barpali. Beside this her mother gets Rs.200 (US $ 4)as old-age pension. Till date she got no help from any other government agencies or the local politicians. To make a living Tulsi sells mukh-phalli laddu (groud-nuts), nadia-khaja (coconuts) and other sundry items to the street children of their community. In a day she makes a turnover of around Rs.30 to 60. If you take 10 % margin, on the extreme she would be making Rs.5 a day ( roughly 10 US cents ). Her total inventory would be at most Rs.250 to Rs.300. She is the result of illiteracy and poverty which went unchecked in the past. Her mother cries as who will take care of her child when she dies.

One bhadra byakti of New Delhi forwarded financial assistance to procure a second-hand tricycle for her. She started moving in her tri-cycle independently by taking assistance from the children of the neighbourhood.

Her eyes radiates whenever she watches a kite flying in the sky. When she cast-off her body, then only her soul would be able to fly like a kite.

NOTE : If anyone wants to extend a helping hand to Tulsi to make her stand in life, please do contact     the author of this article, as Tulsi neither have got a cell-phone nor a bank account. The author propose to arange one hand-operated sewing machine so that she could be imparted traing on tailoring. It would bring her a permanent source of income from home.

Jai Ho

kiranbima@gmail.com

WhatsApp# +918249314972

E. KIRAN MOHAN

https://barpalidays.blogspot.com/p/ekiran-mohan.html
C\o. Dr. E. R. Rao(M.D.)
Tehsil Chowk,
At\PO: BARPALI - 768 029 
Odisha, India