Kiranmayi - II

One child from the next village to ours, Kumarapalle, is handicapped. A wrong intervention at the local PHC has rendered her lame for life. A friend helped her, and now she had a Jaipur foot, and a crutch. Till then she used to drag herself on the ground.

Her father is a small farmer, and paints houses on the side. He has done everything to support her, and she has finished her intermediate and college.

What logistical effort that means, only someone living in an interior village can understand. When the bus stop is 5 km away, and is a long long walk for all. And this is a child on a crutch. Her younger brother would go to the busstop daily in the evening to being her on his cycle. On days he could not, she would walk down, her arms acheing from pressing on the crutches, by the time she reached home. Walking doen the long silent roads.

My friend, whom I met on FB, has been crediting a small sum into her account monthly. To meet her college expenses.

Battling health, fate and poverty, the girl has moved on, and registered for MSW, masters in social work. This year.

This year in post graduation her mess and staying fees have become steep.

My friend suggested that she credit that extra sum to her, and that maybe it will be good for the girl to treat it as a loan and replay as and when she gets a job.

I told her that. She said she would ask her father.

They did not ask for the extra amount. Then I called up the father one day.

"How can we take, promising to repay. What do we know what tomoirrow will bring. And then we will fail our word.

All these years of painting has damanged my lungs. The doctor said. My medicines cost 1500/- per month. My wifes legs are swelling up, and we are doing tests to diagnose. There is no work these days.

What loan can we take in these times."

These are how we have cornered the poor of our land. And then when we from our privilege speak of difficult terms like credit worthiness. they do not understand them. I too have ceased to understand these words.

My friend has started crediting into her account a sun to cover her college expenses. Skipping the repayment plan.