BARGARH: In a heart-wrenching incident, the fear of being ostracised made a man to abandon his ailing father in a forest at Petupali village under Sohela block here. Not just that, he also had to host a community feast to gain back acceptance of his fellow villagers.
Hari Bariha (60), who was living alone in a makeshift arrangement in the forest since last few weeks after his son abandoned him, was rescued by a Bargarh based social organisation Sankalpa Pariwar recently.
Sources said that Hari was bitten by a dog and sustained severe injuries on his right leg in July this year. His son Prashant (24) had rushed him to the district headquarters hospital (DHH) but as his condition didn’t improve, Hari was shifted to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) at Burla.
After 15 days of treatment, the doctor advised Prashant to take his father back and regularly continue the dressing of his injury from the nearest health centre. However, due to some reason, Hari's wound was infested with maggots.
As the villagers came to know about it, they gradually started discriminating Prashant for the condition of his father. Reportedly, elderly members of his community even pressurized Prashant to abandon his father failing which he would be outcasted.
Fearing ostracism, Prashant built a small hut in a forest outside the village and left his father there. Later, he also spent Rs 20,000 to organise a community feast to gain acceptance of the villagers. During this period, sources said, Prashant used to arrange food for Hari on most days.
Recently, a man from the nearby village who used to go through the forest everyday, noticed Hari and contacted the NGO. When Sankalpa members reached there, they found Hari in a frail condition with one of his legs tied. They then rescued Hari and sent him to the DHH for treatment.
A founder member of Sankalpa Pariwar, Bikash Agarwal said Hari was found in a pathetic condition but was mentally stable. "We called Prasanta to discuss with us. Though hesitant, he later agreed and met us. We convinced him that we will look after his father's treatment and later talk to the villagers to allow his father into the village once he is cured. Hari is in a better condition now and doctors said his wound will heal in a month," he said.
On the other hand, Prashant claimed that his behaviour was dictated by social pressure. "I had no other option as I could not afford my father’s treatment. I even took a loan of Rs 18,000 for the community feast and am in debt now," he said.