PUDUKKOTTAI: When Cyclone Gaja roared into Pudukkottai town felling trees and blowing away roofs, on Gandhi Street, the six siblings of R Dhanalakshmi (26) did not realise they were in the midst of a severe disaster until their hut was damaged. This was because in Dhanalakshmi’s family, besides herself and her parents, other members are hearing- and speech-impaired.
The family from the Dalit (Arunthathiyar) community is presently staying in a rundown hut covered with tarpaulin and flex banners. Recounting the night, Dhanalakshmi said, “It was sudden and we were all fast asleep. We heard the sound of things falling and people calling out others to safety. But in the middle of all this was our hut, where six of my siblings were sleeping oblivious to what was happening.” Her mother Vasantha (60) said Dhanalakshmi and herself had a tough time waking up the siblings. In the darkness nothing could be communicated and the members only realised the scale of the disaster after they emerged from their hut.
They moved to their neighbour’s place and stayed there until the storm subsided. When they returned to check on their hut, the roof was damaged, one side was completely exposed to the elements and the hut was barely standing. “Everything was wet, table fans and TV were damaged. Those were the only appliances we had,” said Dhanalakshmi.
The days without power after the cyclone were another test of their resolve. They stayed in the home of a distant relative, who is also a neighbour. The family is sceptical whether they could ever recover. Dhanalakshmi and her disabled sister Saraswathi (30) are the breadwinners, together earning around `4,000 a month working as domestic helps. Four siblings receive monthly financial grant from the government meant for disabled.
Apart from being hearing- and speech-impaired, one of the brothers, Murugesan (35) is visually-impaired and the other, Karthik (27) had undergone a kidney operation which left him unfit for strenuous physical work. Other than Dhanalakshmi, who had studied till Class XII, none of the family members had much education. Their father Raju used to be a cobbler but spinal surgery done 25 years ago heavily restricted his mobility, forcing him to stay at home.
“Two of our sisters are married but they were abandoned by their husbands,” Dhanalakshmi said. Vasantha said, “I can’t even marry off my youngest daughter (Dhanalakshmi).She wants to stay home and tend to me, her father and siblings. It pains me that we are standing in the way of our daughter’s life.”
Dhanalakshmi said, “We could not go and collect relief material distributed by volunteers and have not received any help from the government yet.”The family said they see no light at the end of the tunnel and the best they can hope is just to survive.
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