Still no succour for Phanus Punjis

Expressbuzz, Dec 5, 2008

BALANGIR: In 1984, Phanus Punji sold her sister-in-law for Rs 40 and a saree.

In 1992, Nokila Suna sold her six-year-old son for Rs 100 and two saris. In 1996, Nora Gahir sold her six-year-old daughter for Rs 200 and a bag of grain. And the latest, in 2001, Shyamlal Tandi sold his three-year-old daughter Hema for Rs 5000.

These are the stories of child sale in western part of Orissa, particularly in undivided Balangir and Kalahandi districts still known as the ‘Ethiopia of India’. All of them, who sold their children, made headlines with politicians making a beeline for their houses.

Yet with passage of time there is hardly any improvement in their condition.

Nobody even remembers them.

Tandi of Kundaputla village under Bangomunda block in Balangir, who sold his daughter Hema to one Ramprasad Mangaraj when he could not look after her, is still reeling under abject poverty. A House committee had then visited the area after the news spread. Hema was swiftly restored to her family, but sadly she died in her home as she did not get the medical attention when she fell ill. Soon everybody forgot her parents. At present, two children of Tandi are being looked after by a teacher of the village. ‘‘Employment in the village is irregular. Most of the time we get to work only 10 days in a month,’’ said Hema’s mother Lalita.

Similarly, Phanus of Amlapali village sold Banita and came to limelight. Moved by her plight, even Rajiv Gandhi visited her. Now Phanus is running from pillar to post to get a house under Indira Awas Yojana.

Banita, who later married Bidyadhar Podh, a blind man, became mother of five. When some mediapersons came to meet her in Khatimunda, a hamlet in Balangir district, she wept inconsolably and said, ‘‘I too will sell my youngest child. I have no other option.

My husband is blind and I have to work alone to feed my husband and children.’’ The tale of other persons, who sold their wards, is hardly different. With no proper attention being paid except occasional visits by politicians, they are still fighting a grim battle against poverty.