THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sometimes tragedy strikes in the most unkindest way. For Lathakumari V S, hailing from Powdikonam here, it was just the beginning of an ordeal when she heard the news of the death of her husband on February 12, this year. Forty days have passed since she and her three children, are still waiting to have a glimpse of the body of their dear one.
Murugan K, 52, had reportedly committed suicide by hanging in Saudi Arabia where he was working at a construction site. The family or his relatives working in that country are clueless as to what prompted him to take the extreme step. “On the previous day too he rang me and talked as usual. There wasn’t any financial crisis in particular though our house was pledged some time ago,” said Lathakumari. She also said there wasn’t any family issue either.
Kiran, 16, the second son of the couple is appearing for the ongoing SSLC examinations. “I cannot hold my tears when I see him leaving for the exams. I don’t even ask him whether the examination was easy,” says Saraswathy, his grandmother.
“The tragedy has shattered the family, mentally and financially” said Gopakumar G, a relative of Murugan. “Arun, the eldest son, is a bright student who won A+ in the SSLC examination. After Plus-II, he joined for a vocational course at Kariavattom Government College. Now he has started going for carpentry work on holidays to run the family and meet his educational expenses,” he said. Six-year-old Mridula is the third child of the couple.
The relatives of Murugan working in Saudi Arabia are trying hard to bring his body back home. “They too are ordinary workers earning pea nuts. They have sought the help of a Malayalee organisation there to meet the expenses,” said Gopakumar.
When contacted, R S Kannan, Joint Secretary, Non-Resident Keralites Affairs Department (NORKA), said that the issue had not come to their notice.
“We will certainly look into the issue,” he said.
Though he had worked for over 30 years in Saudi Arabia, Murugan does not have any considerable savings, his relatives said.
“The house itself was pledged at a bank some years ago. Now, after his death, the future of the children are uncertain,” said Gopakumar. He also said the family had not received any help from the government.