Bhawanipatna: A man who didn’t have enough money to hire a vehicle to take his wife’s body from the hospital to his village and had to carry her body on his shoulders back to his village, has suddenly become a rich man, with donations pouring in for him from all sides.
Dana Majhi of Melaghara village under T Rampur block in Kalahandi district has seen his fortunes swiftly change beyond his wildest dreams. His Utkal Gramya Bank savings account now has more than Rs 9 lakh, while the state government has also announced to construct a house for him under Indira Awas Yojana.
However, the man himself is bewildered as much by the worldwide attention as by the amount of donations he has got.
“I’m an illiterate person. I can’t even figure out how many zeroes there are in 9 lakh,” Majhi said. He says he doesn’t know what to do with the money while the district administration is learnt to have asked government officials to keep a tab on the donations received by Majhi and how the money will be spent.
A video clip of Majhi carrying his wife’s body on his shoulder and walking 12 km from the hospital to his village made international headlines, which led to a flurry of donations, including an undisclosed amount from none other than the Bahrain prime minister himself.
All this is disconcerting for Majhi, who says his fellow villagers are upset over all the attention that he is getting.
“Majhi shot to international headlines due to that video clip. However, there are many more who are in an even worse situation than him. What about them? They will continue to languish. This lopsided kind of scenario is unfair to them,” said a villager wishing to remain unnamed.
According to reports, the widower has received a fixed deposit of Rs 5 lakh from Sulabh International, a social service organisation, which would increase to Rs7.34 lakh following its maturity after five years. Similarly, the organisation would pay Rs 10,000 a month to his elder daughter Chandni till she gets a job or her marriage. He has received Rs30,000 from Red Cross funds, Rs 52,000 and rice under National Family Welfare Scheme.
A Maharashtra-based NGO has donated Rs 80,000 and sent the documents of four fixed deposits (Rs 10,000 each) in the name of Majhi and his three daughters. Besides, he has also received a cheque of Rs 2 lakh from two Gujarat traders. Majhi himself has deposited Rs80,000 in his bank accounts while a US-based NRI Jitendra Mishra has sent him a cheque of Rs1.05 lakh which is yet to be deposited in the account.
Bank of India has also opened a savings bank account in his name with an initial deposit of Rs 20,000. Similarly, the Prime Minister of Bahrain has donated an amount which is yet to be disclosed.
The state government on its part has issued a work order worth Rs75,000 under Indira Awas Yojana and gave him a plot measuring four decimal to build the house on it. Besides, the government has declared to bear the education cost of his three daughters.
Majhi says he wants to provide a good education to his children with the money he has received so far. PNN
