Tuesday 27 September 2016

Humanism Lives On



At present, a controversy over construction of barrage on the Mahanadi by Chhatisgarh, in which the river originates and Odisha, where most parts of the river flow, is in its peak.

Against this back ground, play of humanism has come to the fore. The 18-year old orphan girl Sony Yadav belongs to a village in Rayagarha District of Chhattisgarh. She had never seen her father, who had died before she was born. She lost her mother when she was 12 and had just got admitted to Class IX. That meant the end of her studies. Thereafter, she stayed with her mother’s sister and then with her mother’s brother for some time. The two were working as a domestic help and a daily labourer respectively. Then Sony herself started working as a domestic help in the house of a Punjabi businessman.  

After working for about 8 months there, she took a day’s leave to visit the nearby temple of Maa Chandrahasini (in Chhattisgarh). After darshan of the deity, she went to freshen up at the Mahanadi flowing nearby.

It was evening. And then it happened. When she came to herself, it was morning and she found herself in Kusamel village in Jharasuguda District of Odisha. In the previous evening, when she was washing her legs in the Mahanadi, she slipped and was swept down by the strong current of the swollen Mahanadi. It was pitch-dark all around. She struggled for some time to save herself and then became unconscious. She was swept about 60 Kilo Metres downstream for 13 hours. In the morning, Sanyasi Kalo, a fisherman of Kusamel village was out for fishing and he saw a girl flowing down the river. He called out for his fellow fishermen and they brought her to the river-bank. She was unconscious but was still breathing. They took her to Sanyasi’s house where she was revived. 

She slipped near the temple of Maa Chandrahasini in Chhattisgarh and was rescued near the temple of Maa Padmasini in Odisha.

She was taken to a nearby Primary Health Centre where first aid was given. The doctor wondered how she survived the ordeal even 13 hours after being in the swirling water. Then they got her admitted to the District Hospital where she was thoroughly examined. She was discharged a day later.

Sony was so much touched by the love and affection of Sanyasi and his wife Ahalya that she wished to live with them permanently. The couple was only too willing to accept her as their daughter. They already had 3 sons but no daughter. Sony filled a void felt in their life.

And the other villagers declared her as the daughter of the village!

It was felt that for Sony to live with Sanyasi’s family, the consent of her relatives was needed. So, the villagers arranged a vehicle and took her to her village in Chhattisgarh. The matter was discussed with her relatives and they had no objection. Sony told them that Sanyasi and the others who rescued her were like God to her.  So the group led by Sanyasi returned with her to their village in Odisha. To add to a little official touch, the local Police Station was informed in writing that Sony had become the daughter of Sanyasi and Ahalya. All the villagers signed this as witnesses.

Now Sony has truly become the daughter of the whole village. The villagers have resolved to do everything to take care of her and to collectively arrange a decent marriage for her.


 "Have a little more!", a doting 'mother' Ahalya to Sony.
 

A daughter of Chhattisgarh has become a darling daughter of Odisha!

Addendum:
Odissi Dance - 'Mahanadi'

Ileana Citaristi, Saswat Joshi & Group


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