By TCN Special Correspondent,
Ranchi: Four days after the death of Samrun Khatoon because of hunger, the administration instead of helping victim’s family is in the denial mode. Khatoon, 18, of Miyantand Toli in Kashijhariya Panchayat of Bokaro district succumbed to death out of hunger on 26thSeptember.
Ironically, her death came barely four days after the assurance by District Development Commissioner (DDC) of Bokaro, Baldev Raj, in a public meeting, that no one will die of hunger in his district.
According to Afzal Anees, Co-convener, United Milli Forum (UMF), who led a fact finding team to the village on 28th September, the government is yet to act on such a serious matter. “The administration is yet to provide anything to the victim’s family” says Azfal. “In fact, they are in the mode of denial and consider this a death out of illness not hunger”, he adds. Mubarak Ansari, a para-teacher of the village and who met Afzal’s team, is not ready to accept the view of the administration and says,” the authorities were informed about the condition of Samrun’s family through a village official, Ashok Kumar Mishra, a month ago”. So, how can government deny, it is not death by hunger”?, asks agitated Mubarak.
Samrun was the third child of her parents. Her father is mentally challenged and mother is physically weak. There is no source of income for the family except daily labour.
Unfortunately, Samrun’s family is not alone whose situation is like this. In Miyantand village, every second family is like this. The village is a Muslim majority and lacks almost all basic facilities and schemes meant for its citizens.
The UMF team fears, if the administration will not take situation into consideration and act at the earliest, there can be more deaths of hunger soon.