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| Red Cross team visits Somi's house at Bhalwal after reading his pathetic story | | He had lost his arms, right foot in an explosion in 2001 | | Bharat Bhushan
JAMMU, Oct 15: After going through the Somi's pathetic story in the Sunday edition of Early Times, that appeared under the caption "Amazing story of blast victim: He survived 3-limb amputation, now wife does all his works from feeding to cleaning", a Red Cross team today visited his house at Kalri, about 10 km from here near Kot-Bhalwal.
The team, which was led by Red Cross secretary Suresh Sharma, spent about half an hour at his residence.
On January 23, 2001, a bomb had exploded just underneath Somi near his residence as a result of which he had instantly lost his arms, right foot and a portion of the left thigh muscle. He was 14 then.
Sharma interacted with Somi and gathered the details of the incident from him. He also met his parents and wife and assured them all possible help.
In the absence of arms, all his personal works from feeding to cleaning were being done by his mother before he got married to Bholi -- a divorcee -- last year. The woman has a nine-year-old son from her first marriage and he too lives with them.
After their marriage, Bholi does all the work which Somi's mother had been doing earlier. Sharma told ET over phone that he was greatly influenced by the Bholi's role in the life of Somi, and the sacrifice she had made for the blast victim.
"I also met her and talked to her," he added, saying the couple looked happy.
The Red Cross secretary said he had asked Somi to come to his office at Kachi Chawni along with his testimonials on Tuesday.
He felt that life would become more pathetic for him after his father, who was at present taking care of his financial needs, was not around. "Somi asked me to recommend his case for a government job for his survival," he added.
Two days before the explosion, i.e. on January 21, six Pakistani militants were shot dead by army in an encounter at Tumber Khoo in the neighbourhood of Kalri. The grenade, that maimed Somi, was either fired by troops, or the militants during the gunbattle and had remained unexploded for two days near his residence. Several village houses were hit by bullets on the day of the encounter.
Life has been very hard for him after he survived the three-limb amputation. His mother fed him and also cleaned him after he passed stool. He cannot even unbutton his pants to pass urine and needs help to do all personal works. His mother did all this for him till he got married over an year back.
Since their marriage, Bholi has been by his side every step of the way. Somi said since the family did not have any permanent source of income, he was worried how he would spend rest of his life when his father was not around to look after him.
He said the government could help him by providing him a job on humanitarian grounds. "I do not have hands to write but I can do the job of a watchman in any government department," he added.
Somi, now 26, was in 7th class when his limbs were amputated in the blast. He had to abandon his studies.
He has now developed the art of writing his name and putting signatures with the help of his mouth and the amputated limbs.
He made an appeal to the Chief Minister and the state Governor to provide him a job so that he could lead rest of his life with honour and dignity. "A job for me means my survival because I am unable to run a shop, or do any other business activity on my own," he added. |
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