64. Dana Majhi and that harrowing walk

A friend has recently returned from Kalahandi, Odisha. He had previously visited the area and was aware of the poor living conditions and inadequate infrastructure.

He praised the state's progress, expressing admiration for both the state and the central government.

It reminded me of an incident that happened in September 2016. 

The newspaper image still deeply saddens me. The pain experienced by a father and daughter is difficult to put into words.

A man, with his teenage daughter crying beside him, carried his wife's body wrapped in old sheets on his shoulders. 

He started walking toward his home in Melghar village, Thuamul Rampur block, Kalahandi, approximately 60 km away, after being unable to find a vehicle to take her from the government hospital where she had died. 

His name was Dana Majhi, a typical tribal man from Kalahandi. His wife was battling tuberculosis. Majhi asked the hospital authorities to arrange transportation for the body, but no one responded.

He had walked nearly 12 km when some local reporters saw the duo and informed local authorities. Shortly after, an ambulance was dispatched to carry the body for the remaining 50 km of the journey.

Later, we came to know that it wasn’t the fault of the state government, which had recently launched the 'Mahaparayana' scheme to assist those in such a situation, offering free transportation of bodies from government hospitals to the deceased's residences. 

Under the 'Mahaparayana' scheme, designated dead body carriers were assigned to 37 government hospitals, with a total of 40 vehicles allocated for this purpose. But the district hospital at Bhawanipatna could not spare a vehicle.

Surprisingly, it was not an isolated incident. Previously, people also had to transport bodies this way. 

Exactly two months before this incident, a family from Andhra Pradesh had to carry their daughter's body in a trolley rickshaw for her last rites because no one stepped up to assist them. 

The deceased was suffering from epilepsy since childhood and had succumbed to an unknown ailment.

But the big question is: who is at fault for all this?

In most cases, the employees—specifically government servants—are often seen as lazy. No matter where you go in the country, you will encounter these government employees who lack responsibility and have guaranteed pensions. The scene is not changing. 

Dana Majhi was again in the news in 2021 when his daughter, who had accompanied him on that harrowing walk, passed the Class 10 board exam. Newspapers rely on such content to survive. 

My friend admits that probably no one else will encounter a situation like what Dana Majhi and his daughter went through.

And I believe him.