Bhograi: At times desperate situations give kids a wise head on their young and fragile shoulders. Same is the case with seven-year-old Krishna, the daughter of late Kamalesh and Smita Panda of Nimatpur village under Bhograi block in Balasore district. Krishna and her one-and-a-half-month old brother have suddenly become orphans losing their parents to the dreaded Covid-19 virus.
Krishna is yet to realise the gravity of their loss. However, she has understood that there is no one to look after her brother. So she has donned her mother’s coat, taking care of the newborn.
“She feeds her brother, and then puts him to sleep singing lullabies. She has forgotten her own pain to care for her brother. The way she looks after the toddler is enough to bring tears to anyone’s eyes. We wonder why god was so cruel to her,” lamented the other villagers.
Even though Krishna is yet to understand the harsh realities of the world, she has vowed that she will take care of her brother’s education. The two are now staying at their paternal uncle’s house.
Krishna’s relatives said that she turns sad and tears roll down her cheeks whenever she sees the pictures of her parents or even when someone discusses about them. But then, she quickly wipes them off to take care of her brother. It is as if she is forgetting her losses by looking after the needs of her brother who is too small to even realise the world has changed for him.
Villagers are hoping that the state government will provide some assistance to Krishna and her brother. They said without government assistance the future of the two orphaned kids looks bleak.
PNN
