Monday, January 28, 2008

Customs keep mother away from child


In isolation: Senyami with her nine-day old daughter, Jayalakshmi. Following old customs, Senyami's mother-in-law makes her sit in the corner of the house for 40 days, till she compltes her menstrual cycle.


Cuddalore: Senyami, a 40-year-old woman from the Irula community in Kaliangar Nagar could not reach the hospital in time for her delivery of her seventh child. She was washing clothes at home, when her water broke. Since the nearest government hospital is 5 km away in Killai, she had to deliver her baby at home with the help of her mother-in-law.



It has been nine days since she her daughter Jayalakshmi's birth; yet Senyami sits in the corner of her two-room house isolated from her family and children. Following customs that one believed were long forgotten, nobody touches Senyami and Jayalakshmi, as they haven’t bathed. Senyami said, “On the twentieth day, we both will take a bath. Then her grandmother will look after Jayalakshmi till I complete my 40 days in isolation. Only then I will be allowed to reclaim the responsibility of my house.”



Until Senyami completes her 40 days of isolation, her new born will not be breast-fed. She was unaware of the fact that her milk could dry up or that after some time it would not have anti-bodies which are crucial for the baby's immune system. She has four children who are below the age of five and need her care. When her two-year-old son cried and ran to her for comfort, his grandmother held him back as his mother was considered impure.



At times her eldest daughter, Raji who is an IX Std. student at the corporation school, had to act as surrogate mother for her siblings. She hasn’t attended school this term, which began in January, as she was needed at home to help her mother. Raji said, “My mother needs me. She cannot help my younger brothers and sisters because of her current condition. I bathe and feed them. I have to look after them so that they don’t run into the fields close by.” She also added, “Once my mother is allowed to do so, I shall go back to school.”





Senyami and her family of ten members earn Rs 300 a month. The family depends on the meagre income of her husband, who works as a driver (a person who grinds rice to flour) at a rice mill in Killai. Her mother-in-law is too old to work and Senyami herself works only during the harvesting season earning Rs 35 per day. This year she couldn’t work due to her pregnancy. The family live on Rs 10 a day, which is Rs 2 below poverty line (BPL) and the money is used to buy one-liter milk for the entire family every day. She said, “We add water to the milk so that we have enough for everyone. We buy Ponni rice from the ration shop or sometimes my husband gets it as wages from the mill. The pulses that cost Rs 2 at the ration shop have stones. But we cannot afford anything better.”





Sterilisation was never an option for Senyami. But after her third delivery that was cesarean, the fear of injections and operating theatres was infused in her. Her seventh delivery and increasing financial problems has showed her that the greater fear is that of dying of hunger. As soon as she is physically fit, she plans to go to the government hospital and get herself sterilized.

3 comments:

zen81 said...

Well dont we all know that all these superstitious beliefs still exist in the villages and low class families!! What's the governement doing in Cuddalore and other villages??? I think instead of spending money on election rallies, constructing streets which are already in good shape etc. they should spend some money to educate the people and have more volunteers..

IMJ said...

When u say, streets are in good shape, I'm assuming that u referring to the roads in the cities. Because if you are referring to those in the villages, you couldn't be more wrong. The very reason that there is lack of education and almost 80% illiteracy in TN villages is cause of lack of acces to schools. And this lack of access most of the time is because the schools are far away and the roads to those schools are damned. So please clarify ur comment.

zen81 said...

I was talking about city roads. i was not talking about villages. the govt. has to do a lot for the villages.From water, farming, schools, electricity etc..Our govt has money to spend on diplomats, and things which are not necessary!!