Last year, at this time, all newspapers carried an image that will probably haunt us forever. A tribal man in Kalahandi carried his wife's body on his shoulders for nearly 12 km as he had no money for a hearse van and the district hospital authorities allegedly refused to arrange one. His 12-year-old daughter walking by his side, sobbing.
A year later, Dana Majhi's life has changed, or rather beginning to change. After the incident, a lot of people sent him donations-- Now, he has over Rs 37 lakh and all his three daughters go to a tribal school in Bhubaneshwar, reports The Telegraph.
"My children are getting education, government and various social organisations have helped me in various ways," he told The Telegraph.
A lot of help poured in for the 42-year-old after the heartbreaking photograph. The Odisha government allotted him a house under the Indira Awas Yojana, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister of Bahrain presented him a cheque for Rs 9 lakh. The Sulabh International made fixed deposits in Majhi's bank account which will mature five years hence on September 3, 2021. The founder of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) admitted all his three daughters in his school.
Meanwhile, Majhi married the third time a couple of months back.
A tuberculosis patient, Majhi's wife Amang breathed her last on the night of August 24 last year at the district headquarters hospital in Bhawanipatna. After the hospital authorities failed to arrange an ambulance or a hearse van, Majhi wrapped up her body in old sheets which he found at the hospital and set off on foot to their village, some 60 kilometers away, with his daughter crying and walking next to him.
"I pleaded with the hospital authorities to arrange for a vehicle or an ambulance to carry the body. But as no one came forward to help me, I decided to carry the body on my shoulder to the village for cremation," he said.
After he had walked with the corpse for around 10km some local reporters spotted him. They informed the district administration and arranged an ambulance for the rest of his journey.
However, Majhi now wants the government and authorities to shift the focus from him to his village.
Male Child Abuse Survivors
Praveen Minj(01 of05)
Open Image Modal"I never really understood it then, but now when I look back at my life I understand how much I really suffered. Sadly, more than the abuse, it was the how the trauma of it changed me as a person.
As a male child I was always expected to be strong. My mother’s suffering in her life, forced me to hide my own pain and take the onus of healing, upon myself. Eventually, this kept on adding to my baggage of constant self-victimizing , self criticism, self-doubt, and self-disbelief." (credit:Photographer Deepti Asthana/Courtesy The Hands of Hope Foundation)
Abhhydday Paathak(02 of05)
Open Image Modal"Sometimes the very wounds that cripple us hold the key to our healing. So here I am, breaking the silence.
In the attic of my childhood, I lost the child within me. I was 5 when my fairy tale turned into a nightmare. Like the caged, mute animals, digging canals to escape the predator, I too found myself, dodging the predator who terrorized my body and soul almost every day. Ironically, he was an officer charged with the responsibility to safeguard me. I know rationally that none of it was my fault. But, the threats then didn’t allow me to see otherwise." (credit:Photographer Deepti Asthana/Courtesy The Hands of Hope Foundation)
Mohammed Ali(03 of05)
Open Image ModalAli was 9 years old when he was first sexually abused at a railway station in Mumbai. His abusers were not one but many--older boys, cops, drug addicts, whoever got hold of him. (credit:Photographer Deepti Asthana/Courtesy The Hands of Hope Foundation)
Rajeev Pandey(04 of05)
Open Image Modal"I was taken to a dark empty room in the huge family house. He told me the medicine he had would only work if I kept it a secret. He then pulled down my pants, and abused me. It hurt me no end, but I bravely bore it. After all, I was on my way to becoming like my father.
The abuse continued. So did the pain." (credit:Photographer Deepti Asthana/Courtesy The Hands of Hope Foundation)
Roshan Kokane(05 of05)
Open Image Modal"I was 10-years-old when I was sexually abused for the first time. I was napping in the noon on my bed after a tiring day at school and suddenly opened my eyes to the sensation of someone trying to physically hurt me. I was scared, shocked and I didn’t move a bit. Fear and confusion gripped me that afternoon.
The abuser was unfortunately someone from my family. Every time I was alone, they would touch me in the most inappropriate ways and force me to do the same with them. They would do it as frequent as one or twice a week." (credit:Photographer Deepti Asthana/Courtesy The Hands of Hope Foundation)