Keonjhar (Odisha) (PTI): A tribal woman who is a mother of 11 children was driven out of the house in Odisha's Keonjhar district by her husband for undergoing tubectomy operation, a permanent method of contraception, against his wish.
Janaki Dehury, along with some of her children, has been staying outside the house in Dimiria village after being thrown out of the home by her husband three days ago.
The woman decided to go for tubectomy after being convinced by a local ASHA worker about the adverse impact of giving birth to children every year. She has given birth to 11 children in 11 years of her marriage, though one of them died.
"It is very embarrassing to get pregnant every year while my children are growing up. Though many of our village women had gone for the operation, my husband does not understand and he drove me out of the house," Janaki said.
Her husband Rabi, on the other hand, claimed that his wife has committed a crime by undergoing the sterilisation process.
"We belong to the Bhuyan community. According to the belief in the community, our forefathers will not get water if women undergo the operation. I am strongly opposed to such an operation," Rabi Dehury said.
ASHA worker Bijaylaxmi Biswal who persuaded Janaki to go for the surgery said that frequent pregnancies are taking a toll on her health.
She has become too weak to handle any more pregnancy, Biswal said adding that it will also be difficult for the family to raise 10 children.
Alleging that Rabi has been threatening to kill her as she convinced her to opt for the surgery, Biswal said he fails to understand the health condition of his wife.
"Not only me, anyone trying to talk to him about the issue becomes his target," Biswal said.
Meanwhile, the health officer Dr Pritisah Acharya of Telkoi hospital is making efforts to convince Rabi about the situation and accept his wife.
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Udupi: Karnataka Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi has insisted that the Kumbh Mela was a matter of one’s personal devotion, and belief and not related to one single party.
The minister, who was asked by reporters here on Monday about Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's participation in the religious event, clarified that participation was a personal choice and many Congressmen had travelled to Varanasi in a train from Mangaluru to attend the Kumbh Mela. He added that he too would visit after the rush of devotees subsides as he felt that the place was extremely crowded at present.
Jarkiholi, however, refused to comment on the appeal made by Shivakumar, who is also the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) to leaders of the party to not misuse Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's name. He said that the matter would be taken up with members of the Congress as it was an internal issue of the party, adding that, if any concerns arise, they would be resolved within the party itself.
Further, he refused to comment on Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna hitting out at Shivakumar, asking him not to "misuse" the name of the AICC. Jarkiholi added that it was an issue between Shivakumar and Rajanna and he did not wish to intervene between the two senior Congressmen.
Speaking on Siddaramaiah completing his term as CM, the minister told the reporters that the party High Command would take a decision on the matter.