DINDIGUL: With several dozen disabled persons residing within a 2km radius, Kallupatti village near Thadikombu town panchayat in Dindigul district has the tag of being the ‘saddest’ village in the district. The hapless residents have now sought the government’s help to appoint a special coordinator for the village.
According to official records, there are around 1,020 families in Kallupatti village, near Chettinaickenpatti panchayat. Interestingly, around 67 families have at least one disabled person.
Speaking to TNIE, social activist T Balamurugan said, "This is one of the most unusual villages in the entire district. Persons with various disabilities live here, and more importantly, they are not suffering due to hereditary conditions or other similar issues. While all the families receive financial benefits ranging from Rs 1,000 - Rs 2,000 per month, based on the level of disability, what they require is emotional support from relatives and friends, which is missing."
Karuppaiyi (66), an elderly woman said, "I have two sons — Chandran (32) and Ramkumar (25) —both mentally challenged from birth. With my husband’s meagre earnings, we managed to survive. Since my sons are in such pitiable condition, we are receiving a monthly assistance of Rs 2,000 each. My husband died in a road accident in Dindigul six years ago. Though we get monthly assistance of Rs 4,000, this is not enough for medicines or their treatment. I seek financial assistance in the form of the guardian support scheme."
Dhanalakshmi (56), another villager, said, "I have two children with mental illness. My younger daughter Shanti (name changed) is a 25-year-old and is mentally challenged. While initially I felt fortunate that my Saravanan was fine, there were changes in his behavior when he turned 16. While his behavior became erratic, my husband took him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a mental disability.
Despite several rounds of treatment, he could not be treated. A few years ago, my husband died in a road accident near Dindigul city, and now, I don't have any support and I can't go out to work." There are many others affected by conditions such as polio, dwarfism and locomotive disability, among others.
M Veeraiyan (46), a polio victim, said, "I suffer from polio and this ailment has a lasting effect on my life. But I was determined to fight it and I learned tailoring in a shop for two years. With loans and financial help from friends, I started a tailoring unit and now, I help other disabled persons by offering them training."
Veeraiyan also mentioned that his elder sister's son was suffering from mental illness, while her daughter, aged 40, was suffering from locomotive disability. Recently, she was married off to another disabled person after a long period of time.
Speaking to TNIE, Differently Abled Welfare Officer (Dindigul) K Thangavel said, "We will conduct a special camp and work with the health department to study all the disabled in the particular village. A detailed report will be prepared on this. Later, we will appoint a special coordinator for the entire locality."