Ullal: It was once a small family of four women – A grandmother, mother and two little grans daughters.
The two girls were studying in an English Medium School in Mangaluru.
During a school outing to Pilikula, the younger sibling died in the unforgettable Pilikula boat tragedy and the older sibling, over the 12 years has not been able to cope up with the loss to the extent that she has remained within the confines of her house.
On March 7, 2016, Someshwar GP Member Dhanlaxmi and several other BJP volunteers rescued this 26-year-old young girl and sent her to a rehabilitation centre.
Background
Gopal and Swarnalatha couple, hailing from Kuloor had two children-Beena and Anusha.
Over the years, for some reason Swarnalatha had shifted to her maternal home near Someshwar with her two daughters.
From here, both Beena and Anusha used to go to a school in Mangaluru.
On January 21, 2000 a total of 247 students of the school were taken on an outing to Pilikula and tragedy struck this family of four when 23 children were put in a boat for a ride and the boat capsized, killing 15 children, including Anusha.
For young Beena, her younger sister Anusha meant a world.
When she realised that she could never be able to be in Anusha’s company anymore, she started becoming a recluse and then the worst episode of her life began.
She got into depression and she started remaining aloof. When her reality would haunt her, she would turn violent, often waging attacks on her grandmother and mother.
The family had then admitted Beena to Fr Muller’s Hospital for treatment, but treatments only got her temporary relief.
When Beena’s behaviour went uncontrollable, her mother and grandmother took a difficult decision of locking her up in the room and providing her food and other requirements to the room.
Over the last 12 years, Beena’s life has been confined to this room.
The matter came to light during the Zilla Panchayat poll campaigning.
Someshwar ZP cosntituency Candidate Dhanlaxmi and other BJP volunteers had visited the area and on reaching the house of Jalajakshi and Swarnalatha, they learnt about Beena and the difficult condition in which the family has been living.
Dhanlaxmi promised to the family that once the elections are over she would return and take Beena to a proper rehabilitation centre.
Keeping up the promise, on Monday, BJP volunteers took Beena in Someshwar Panchayat President Rajesh Uchil’s vehicle to a rehabilitation centre.
She was taken to Paschim Rehab Centre, Neherunagar.
Rohith, Director of the Centre says that mentally disturbed persons can be given proper treatment and made to live a normal life.
“Timely intervention and care is what they need,” he said.
With ZP member Dhanlaxmi coming as a Good Samaritan into the lives of Jalajakshi and Swarnalatha, one may have to wait and watch if Beena will ever be able to lead a normal life, coming to terms with her loss.
