Image Courtesy: Twitter
Shocking images of a young boy sitting with a dead toddler in his arms have gone viral on social media. The boy was holding on to his dead brother, the child’s lifeless arm hanging out from under a shroud, even as the older child shooed away flies. The incident took place in Morena in Madhya Pradesh when the children’s father had to leave the children alone so he could arrange for transport to take them back to their village.
The toddler, identified as Raja, had been referred to the hospital from his homeland in Badfra village of Ambah around 35 km away. His father Poojaram Jatav and sibling Gulshan accompanied him to the hospital. According to NDTV, Raja was diagnosed with anaemia and ascites – abdominal swelling caused by the accumulation of fluid, often related to liver disease – and was undergoing treatment. However, he succumbed to his illness mid-treatment.
The family tried to go back home with the toddler’s body but discovered that the ambulance had returned without them. Poojaram asked the hospital staff for a vehicle to take them back to the village. However, not only did the hospital say it did not have a vehicle at hand, a private ambulance operator demanded ₹ 1,500 as fare! Unable to pay the amount, the single father then tried to find help elsewhere. Leaving Gulshan with his brother’s body in front of Morena’s Nehru Park, he went to look for affordable transport.
Gulshan sat there for around half an hour before a local journalist spotted the child and recorded a video of his condition. The video immediately went viral with media focussing on the family’s tragedy. It may be noted that while the family’s condition drew much attention, Jatav finally got help from police officer Yogendra Singh. The official took the family to the hospital and arranged for an ambulance to take them home.
Meanwhile, members of the Dalit community have called the whole ordeal yet another instance of how the marginalised communities and castes in India are left to fend for themselves while the masses decry attempts of affirmative action.
This incident is shameful, an eight-year-old Dalit boy was sitting on the road for hours carrying the dead body of his little brother. He was suffering from anemia he could not get treatment on time. Where are those people who say that casteism has ended in India….. pic.twitter.com/Qlaeg2UoIx
— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) July 10, 2022
8 year old boy kept holding the dead body of his 2 year old brother while his father was running for a private vehicle in MP. This is the situation of Dalits, beyond barbarism. pic.twitter.com/1TpEgK8WE0
— Harsh (@_ambedkarite) July 10, 2022
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