Bhubaneswar:18/January/2009

 

Incredible though it may sound, a hungry, hapless and poor woman could do it what the army of slum dwellers failed to achieve.

32-year-old Sasmita Sahu had turned to be savior for hundreds of poor people of the capital city who eking out a living by doing menial business on foot paths and roadsides.

Sasmita's desperate attempt to save a pot of boiled rice could impress upon Orissa's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Embroiled by the agony and misery of Sasmita, the CM ordered stop of eviction drive, often dubbed as "inhuman" exercise, being carried out by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation.

"Sasmita has done it; which we all together failed", said Shivram, the slum leader, who is raising his voice against the eviction drive.

How come a frail woman Sasmita could do it?

The poor woman, who was running a road-side shop near railway station, had to disrobe herself while opposing the Khaki clad personnel attacking on her shop cum residence.

When police and senior officials of the BMC did not pay any heed towards, her protest, a desperate Sasmita ran towards the State Secretariat, the highest administrative building in the state.

Notwithstanding shame, Sasmita ran towards the secretariat with her petticoat and a blouse, drawing attention of the media persons.

Thanks to Aparti Pradhan, the paparazzi that captured Sasmita's semi-nude picture as part of the reality behind the ongoing merciless eviction drive, lacking human face.

Sasmita's miseries drew attention of the chief minister who immediately issued direction to stop eviction.

"Shocking!!!....." , was the remark of the chief minister as soon as he came across the woman's picture showing her fight for survival.

This is not Sasmita alone; a large number of innocent and hapless people had become a prey to the ruthless eviction drive.

Take the instance of a Brahmin old-man (73) who was running a pan shop to run his family of five daughters and wife.

As soon as the BMC bulldozer smashed his shop, the old, weak, frail old-man broke into tears.

Lifting his both hands towards the sky, the old-man shed tears crying in top of his voice seeking the Almighty's intervention to save him and his hapless family.

"I can not oppose the Sarkari babus's.

It is only the Lord Lingaraj who will come to my rescue", the old man said adding that he was sure that no senior officer or ministers have time to listen to the miseries of poor people here.

This is State Capital. Only rich and influential have rights to live here, not poor men and women, he said.

However, Sasmita's frantic effort have come as a solace for hundreds, may be for the time being.