The Force

Women's Force against TB

Saro never felt so disgusted in her life.

Her eyes were about to burst into tears; she was somehow controlling herself.

Vinod’s today’s behavior was the worst. He threatened her to hand over to the police. ‘You are actually helping my wife to kill me. I understand everything. But that will never happen.’ He was fuming like a mad, ‘Tell my wife she will never get a single penny from my property. I will soon transfer every fraction of it to a charitable trust.’

Vinod had second marriage few years back after the death of his first wife. His second wife was almost half of his age who happened to be a good friend of Saro. He developed a peculiar suspicion on his wife which intensified after he was diagnosed with TB last year.

Saro being the ASHA[1] of the village became his DOT provider. A DOT[2] provider is someone belonging to the same or near-by locality of a TB patient who regularly observes the patient taking the medicines. A TB patient needs to take the medicines for at least six months to get the cure from TB.  Direct observation of the patient taking the medicines ensures no doze is missed and the treatment is completed without interruption.

 Saro remained DOT provider of a number of TB cases in the past and helped them to gain full recovery from the disease. But Vinod was a hard nut to crack basically of two reasons; his long-standing boozing habit and a chronically suspicious mind.

Last year he stopped medicines of his own after receiving the treatment for some weeks. Saro conducted several long negotiation sessions before bringing him back to the treatment but he failed to complete the full course. Saro suggested him many times to get his sputum tested after that with the anticipation of relapse of the disease. Vinod gave her a deaf ear and found solace in his booze. His suspicion on wife had deepened. Once he coughed out streaks of blood and couldn’t resist Saro’s suggestion any more. His sputum was tested in the local Primary Health Centre (PHC) and TB germs were detected once again. ‘Don’t neglect your treatment. TB may worsen further.’ He was repeatedly warned by the Medical Officer of the PHC who added an injection along with the previously prescribed medicines and forbade him to take even a pinch of liquor.

Vinod was extremely upset. He took the medicines and injections for some time and after feeling little better stopped the treatment. He kept on saying to his associates that his wife and her good friend are trying to kill him in the name of treating his TB.

When Saro visited him at his house she only faced series of humiliation.

Nobody talked to her so harshly and rudely in her life. She was a lovable person across the village for her friendly and supportive nature. Her husband was a school teacher and they had a happy married life with two small children.

Saro slowly came to the panchayet bhawan and dropped her devastated body on an empty chair. The words of Vinod’s constantly weeping wife were ringing at her ear, ‘How can we save him from TB, didi? He doesn’t even try to understand that he can give the disease to us including the children. Alcohol is killing him every day. I don’t have the courage to say anything to him as he suspects me so much. If he dies what will happen to us?’

‘Saro, what’s happens to you? Why are you sitting here like this? Not feeling well?’ she got alerted by Radha.

‘No I am alright.’ She replied with a dry smile.

‘Come on Saro. There must be something with you. Sitesh told you anything?’

Sitesh was Saro’s husband.

‘No, no…..nothing of that sort happened.’

‘You are hiding something from me, Saro. If there is any problem, please let me know. I can try a solution for it.’ Radha placed her consoling hand on her shoulder. Saro broke down in heavy tears.

‘Saro, Saro…..’ Radha’s voice softened further. ‘Why are you crying like this? What’s happens?’

Saro gave a detailed account of Vinod to her after settling down a bit. ‘He even threatened me to hand over to the police. Can you believe this, Radha? He felt the medicines I was giving to him were meant to only kill him!’

‘How dare he can behave like this? A perfect scoundrel! Old, bloody haggard!’ Radha became furious.

‘You know what Radha? I am extremely concerned about his health. Additionally he dips himself in alcohol in most part of the day. He will be not only killed by TB but gift the disease to his wife, small children and other family members. He puts everyone’s life into danger by refusing his medicines.’

‘There is only one way to teach that haggard a lesson of his life.’ Radha stood up from her seat. ‘Wait here till I come back.’

‘Radha, where are going? Please don’t go to Vinod’s house and start fighting with him.’ Saro suddenly felt extremely worried. ‘That will make the whole thing more complicated. We need to solve this problem peacefully.’

‘I am not going to Vinod’s house. Don’t go anywhere. I will return soon.’

Radha left.

Saro was feeling terribly nervous. Radha was a rebel woman from the beginning. She was deserted by her husband long back for her liberal attitude. She is now closely engaged with the local women’s groups. Saro often found her giving lectures to the groups, participating in hand-to-hand combat exercises and leading their rallies on various occasions.

Only God knows what this dare-devil woman is going to do to sort out her problem.

Radha was back soon.

Saro got a shock of her life. There were at least thirty women with her.

‘Take us now to that old vulture’s house. We will teach that man a lesson that he will never forget in his life.’

Saro didn’t know what to do. ‘Is it really required Radha?’

‘No didi,’ said one of the women of the group, ‘We can’t spare someone who insulted you so meanly. You do so much for us and our children. Who is he to put such filthy blame on you?’

‘But….’ Radha fumbled as she couldn’t find a word to reciprocate.

‘Radha also told us he is endangering everyone’s life in his family by petting a dangerous disease in his body.’ responded one more women. ‘He has no right to do such reckless thing.’ Saro recognized her on the spot. Lata. Last year she had a miscarriage and Saro accompanied her to the district hospital for urgent treatment.

‘Don’t waste any more time Saro. Let’s go to Vinod’s house as soon as possible. Today he will come to know what the women’s force can do.’

Soon the localities saw a silent rally of the women cutting across the village.

A few over-enthusiastic men couldn’t help asking them, ‘Where are you going in such large numbers?’

‘That’s none of you business.’ replied Radha rudely. ‘Go and oil your own machine.’ The rest of the folks didn’t have the courage to ask anything more to the rallying women after that.

Vinod and his family member lost speech when the women entered their house without speaking a word and in no time cordoned Vinod from all sides.

Before he could utter a word Radha opened her mouth and came to the main point straightway, ‘Listen Vinod, we have tolerated enough of your nuisance. Now stop all these and get your TB cured as early as possible, otherwise…..’ There was a pin of silence in the place. Vinod looked totally lost. His fearful eyes were revolving across the women while mind was searching for a suitable word to speak out.

‘Otherwise we will simple throw you out of this village. You have no right to endanger others lives including your family members with your disease. If you want to die, die somewhere else, not among the innocent children and other people.’ hissed Radha. ‘Remember, I mean what I say.’

‘How dare you misbehave with Saro didi?’ Lata almost howled at him. ‘Saro didi is the ASHA of the village. She has been trying so hard to cure you from TB for the last one year. You don’t even have the slightest gratitude to her? What type of human being you are?’

Saro wanted to stop Lata but couldn’t.

‘If you once again try to rub her wrongly,’ Lata pointed her finger to Vinod this time, ‘no one can save you from our hands, remember that.’

Vinod’s wife came to middle this time, stood beside her terribly shaken husband and said in folded hands, ‘Please forgive my husband. I beg apology to all of you, especially to Saro on his behalf. Let me assure you he will never repeat whatever he did in the past.’

‘See Vinod what your wife is doing to save your skin.’ taunted Radha, ‘she has no hesitation to ask for apology on your behalf. And you suspect her that she is plotting to murder you? How can you be so mean and shameless?’

One of the women reminded the group that they have an urgent meeting with the BDO (Block Development Officer) so they had to hurry up.

‘We don’t like to say anything more to you. Saro, bring your medicines and injections. Today all of us will observe him taking the medicines.’ said Radha.

Vinod took the medicines and injections without saying single word.

‘For the next one month three women of our group will alternately come to pick you up from your house and bring to Saro’s place for taking the medicines. If you try to make another drama to discontinue the treatment again…….’ Radha took a pause and said pointing a finger at him, ‘we will straightway shift you to the jail and provide your treatment over there. The DSP is very well-known to us…so the choice is yours now.’

Vinod’s complete recovery from TB was fast and uneventful after that.

Author’s note: Based on a true incidence that had happened in a tribal village in Chhattisgarh. I was one of the silent spectators of the whole incidence.

 

 

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[1] Accredited Social Health Activist

[2] DOT Directly Observed Treatment

Author's Note

From ELIMINATORS - Crusaders against TB

Reviews

[Leslie Philibert]

Sugata is an impressive writer. He packs big subjects from his own country, cares about people, has morals and fights against injustice. Very. very impressive... read this !

[Pushkar Prabhat]

women power.........cohesive villages
very well written......
loved it!!!
:)

[Lyndy]

Oh wow, I like this story. It is very inspirational and I do like the teamwork the women put in to make Vinod cure himself from the disease. :D

[Coyote Poetry]

I liked the story. You gave the characters faces and life. I like the old country attitude. Concern given to a hard headed person. I did like the positive ending. Thank you for sharing your always powerful and amazing stories.
Coyote