More vibrations
A young man in 20’s came to us,
after attempting to commit suicide. Couple of days after being on ventilator
support and on the way to recovery, his story came out. Sobbing, he told us
this story….
He is from the neighbouring
country, and was educated till the 10th standard. Not able to find
work, he went off to Malaysia, having had paid 200,000/- NRs to a middle man for
the job. The job which he was doing over the year was a 12 to 14 hours’ job,
lifting heavy weights, 7 days a week with one day off every month. Physically
and emotionally abused if he and his friends do not fulfil the owners’
expectations, being beaten up very frequently, and earning about 12 to 14 ,000/-
per month. It came to a point that he could not go any further and he objected
to this treatment. And he had to come back, but he went back to the job after
paying a fine of 75,000/-. But after going back, he could not continue since
the treatment worsened and he and his 3 friends came back. Having had used up
2,75,000/- NRs of his family’s money, he was consistently reminded by the
villagers, why he was a failure, for not continuing in Malaysia and having
blown up the money. And the outcome was this unsuccessful suicide attempt. He
was worried, now that he has recovered, he will have another black mark in his
life, and was dreading going back. Confused and unclear, we as a medical team
had no idea what to advise him and we moved on to the next patient, casually
assuring him that God is in control…. more like friends of Job!
We moved on ahead, and a few beds
ahead we met this mid-forties man. He was unlike the previous one. He was
euphoric and happy. He was brought in by some staff who saw him lying on the
road unconscious. Once in the ER and later in the ward, as he came out of his
drunken stupor, he was quite exuberant about what had happened. He said that he
had been in the jail for three months and had got out a week prior to this. He
was arrested for having Alcohol in his possession. We live in a dry state. I asked him, are you not
afraid, after three months of jail stay, that you might be caught again. He was
quite unconcerned. He said, - ‘no way, I will ever be found with alcohol in my
pocket again. I will go across the border and drink and come. But will never
carry alcohol in my hands.’ We tried probing him for possible giving up of the
habit. But did not seem interested since he had free access across the border.
We moved on to the next bed, not knowing what to say….what do you say to one
who is not keen to move ahead….
The next day in the midst of OPD,
a young boy was brought in. 10-year-old, who was brought in for medical check-up.
And the boy was accompanied by a staff from our projects. The staff told us,
this boy was “trafficked” many years back, and has been working in a Dhaba for
the last few years! (few years – for a 10-year-old boy…?). He had been rescued
by a NGO and was in the process of being handed over to police and exploring
where he is from. I tried opening conversations with the boy, as I was
examining him. He was quite composed and clear. I am fine, I have nothing to say.
Attempt to cut across the confident, matter of fact attitudes and responses did
not give much success. Being anaemic, I send him off for investigations. Wondering
as he went out, was there something more I could have done…to get across to him…?
Yet another set of vibrations
from ground. Vibrations from current day slavery. Slavery to international
labour trafficking, to alcohol and such other addictions and to child
trafficking, intersecting with a health care institution…. remember all were
males….
Are these stray stories,
occasional rumblings from the ground, or vibrations which is the tip of the iceberg….May
be someone has a birds eyes view of these issues….
I just read this in a book - “In
the suffering of the poor God was screaming at me, in fact all of us and our institutions
and social systems that cause and perpetuate hunger poverty and inequality”….
Am I hearing those screams….? And
if I hear, then what….?
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