Unable to vote, they nurture hope

By PRABEER SIKDAR
DEHRADUN, 12 May 2009:
Elections mean different things to different people, depending on what, and where they are. For some, if it is time for false promises, or others, it is time to be part of the poll bonanza brigade. The rest are genuine.
With voters making up their mind to make their mark in the last phase of LS election tomorrow, Garhwal Post interacted with some of the unfortunate ones, who would find it difficult to cast votes, for reasons beyond their control, but definitely under the control of political leaders, at some point of time.
The families of three patients we talked to (who are undergoing treatment in Doon Hospital’s Trauma Ward), were from different places, but there was a common thread: No medical facilities there.
“It is natural for people needing emergency medi-care facilities in our village, to be taken on a makeshift bamboo stretcher for three kilometers,” said Ajay Pal Singh, a farmer and resident of Uttarakashi, who had brought his ailing son for treatment at Doon Hospital.
“He is suffering from a mysterious brain disease,” he disclosed, adding that from their native village Kupra (a distance of 200 kms from Dehradun), the nearest Government Hospitals were based in Badkot, Naogaon Block and Mussoorie. “In all these places, there are no proper government medical facilities,” he rued.
Even though Kupra is connected with 108, according to Singh, who came here along with his wife and young son-in-law, the villagers ferry emergency patients for a distance of three kms in a makeshift stretcher. “From Sena Chatti, we boarded a 108 ambulance and came to Nav Gaon Block. Again, from there, we hired a Jeep for Rs 1000 and came to Doon Hospital,” said Praveen, son-in-law of Singh, who appeared unfazed by his brother-in-law’s medical condition.
“Had you been in your village, whom would you have voted for?” “Munna Singh!” was the prompt reply.
In the other room was a 70-year-old man from Sinjal Gaon (20 kms from Mussoorie), undergoing treatment. “He suffers from severe chest pain,” said Heera Panwar, daughter-in-law of the patient, who had come here along with her husband and brother-in-law.
According to Panwar, whose father-in-law is on a drip, there were no qualified doctors in their neighbouring villages. “For villagers in Maraad, Sinjal, Khat, Aganda and Bhal, we depend on quacks for treatment,” she said, pointing out that the nearest Government Hospital was in Thatyud Block, 15 kms away from Sinjal.
Although EMRI 108 has been a hot topic among politicians in the run up to the poll in Uttarakhand, according to Panwar, there weren’t any in Sinjal. “My husband works as a waiter in a Hotel in Rajasthan and, fortunately, he is here on vacation, so we can take care of my father-in-law,” she confided.
“But why come this far for treatment?” “Though there are private hospitals in Mussoorie, they are out of reach for people like us. As for the other nearby government hospitals, they exist only for namesake.”
“Had you been in your village, whom would you have voted for?” “Jaspal Rana!”Another patient lying beside the father-in-law’s bed was 68-year-old Brahm Singh from Shiva village (20 kms from Paonta Sahib), Sirmur District (HP), which is also going to the polls, tomorrow.
Shimla LS constituency constitutes three Districts: Solan, Sirmour and Shimla. “Dhani Ram Shandil (Congress) is the sitting MP and candidate from Congress this time,” Nather Singh told Garhwal Post, adding that in the previous general election, ‘he won on a BJP Ticket’.So, what is special about Shitli Village? And why are you here, at Doon Hospital? Nather, a farmer, who is here along with his father-in-law and a friend, said, “Doon hospital is a distance of 2 1/2 hours while it takes about 8 hours to reach Shimla.”
Ironically, according to Nather, sixty years after independence, from Shitli village (total population 450, which is 40 kms away from Paonta Sahib), the nearest main road was at a distance of 8 kms at Shilai. “Being a hill village, we have to trek four hours, often carrying women in labour in makeshift stretchers,” he said, pointing out that there was no PHC at their village.
“The nearest private hospital is at Paonta Sahib, which is not for us.”When asked whom they would have voted for had they been in their native place, Nather replied, “Against the sitting MP, but that fellow will miss our votes tomorrow.”
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