Pregnant tribal woman dies on makeshift stretcher in Gujarat, Sparking outcry over road access
Chhota Udepur: In a heartbreaking incident on Tuesday, a pregnant woman from the remote tribal village of Turkheda in Gujarat’s Chhota Udepur district died after giving birth while being carried on a cloth stretcher to reach medical help. Kavita Bhil, who was in labor, died while giving birth to a girl, highlighting the urgent need for road connectivity in the area as the locals battled to get her to a medical institution.
At around 5 a.m., Kavita began experiencing labor contractions. Her husband, Kishan Bhil, along with neighbors from the village of Baskariya Faliya, immediately sprang into action, placing her on a cloth stretcher to carry her over five kilometers of rocky terrain to a pick-up point where an ambulance could arrive. However, only a kilometer into the journey, Kavita went into labor and gave birth. Tragically, she did not survive the delivery. Her body was carried back to the village on the same makeshift stretcher for the final rites. Kishan, a farmer, is now left to care for their newborn daughter and two other children under the age of five. A relative of the family revealed that the newborn is also in critical condition.
The incident has sparked anger and mourning in the village, which lies on the banks of the Narmada River. Villagers say the lack of proper road access has been an ongoing issue, with multiple appeals to the government going unanswered. Jamsinh Rathwa, a relative of Kishan, expressed the community’s frustration with the government’s inaction over the lack of infrastructure. "For years, we have been pleading for a road to access basic health services, but nothing has changed. We are forgotten. If the road had been built, Kavita would still be with us," he lamented.
This tragic event is not an isolated case, as villagers claim that several women have faced similar fates in recent years due to the lack of proper roads. Nagin Rathwa, a local resident, explained that a tender to construct a seven-kilometer road had been issued five years ago, but only three kilometers were completed. He added that, in the absence of the road, villagers are forced to carry patients on cloth stretchers, making it too late during emergencies.
BJP MP Jashu Rathwa acknowledged the tragedy but cited the difficult terrain as a reason for the delay in road construction. “It’s a tragic incident, and we are deeply pained. However, in such remote areas, walking a few kilometers is common. The BJP government is committed to building roads in every corner, but the terrain in this region is challenging. The tender for the road has been issued and will be completed soon,” he said.
SD Goklani, the In-charge District Development Officer of Chhota Udepur, confirmed that a proposal to build the remaining four kilometers of the road has been received, with an estimated cost of ₹11 crore. Goklani mentioned that they had been informed about the tragic death of the woman and that a road proposal was already in place, with construction expected to commence soon.
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Video of Telangana women helping wash Miss World contestants’ feet draws ire from BRS, BJP
Hyderabad, May 15 (PTI): A video showing some women helping wash the feet of Miss World contestants at Ramappa temple on Thursday sparked controversy with opposition BRS and BJP flaying the act, terming it an insult to Telangana women.
Responding to the criticism, the state government in a post on 'X' said "This is a tradition we follow in accordance with the dictum 'Atithi Devo Bhava' by which we offer our international guests the highest honour".
The contestants, dressed in sarees, visited the historical Ramappa Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of their heritage tour in the state on Wednesday.
After they reached the site, some women were seen in the video pouring water on the feet of the contestants, who were seated in a row, to wash their feet. One woman was seen wiping the feet of a contestant with a towel and the video went viral.
The “appalling” incident, where local Dalit, tribal, and economically disadvantaged women were “forced to wash and wipe” the feet of foreign beauty pageant participants, has unleashed a wave of outrage across Telangana, striking a devastating blow to the state’s cherished self-respect, BRS said in a press release.
“Congress CM has officially lost his mind,” BRS Working President KT Rama Rao said, reposting the video in his 'X' handle.
Telangana BJP chief and Union minister G Kishan Reddy in a post on 'X' alleged that Congress party’s century-old legacy of making Indians kneel before foreigners to appease their high command is evident and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, in his desperate bid to impress Delhi bosses, has trampled on the dignity and self-respect of Indian women.
“The Congress national leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi should tender an unconditional apology to Telangana women for blasphemy and for surrendering the dignity, culture and self-respect of our NariShakti,” he further said in the post.
Former Minister and BRS legislator Sabitha Indra Reddy in a post on 'X' described it as a grave insult to Telangana's daughters on the land that gave birth to heroic women like Rudramadevi, Sammakka, and Saralakka.
“The Congress government has stripped the honor of the daughters of the state. This incident has not only shamed Telangana but has also tarnished the dignity of Indian women before the world,” she hit out at the state government.
The Miss World grand finale is set to be held here on May 31. During their stay, the contestants — over 100 in number — have been touring several key tourist attractions across the state.
Dear Country!
— Revathi (@revathitweets) May 14, 2025
YES! This is happening in #Telangana
Women of Telangana are being made to wash the feet of contestants of MISS WORLD!
They are even patting them dry using towels!!
WTF is this Casteist, Colonial, Racist behavior! 🙏🏽#MissWorld2025 #RidiculousBehavior… pic.twitter.com/mTydS8UOvx
