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Abode of the forsaken
Better attention and better care here
They do not look their best selves. Neither are they at their worst. Somewhere between happiness and sorrow, cleanliness and squalid ness, they spend their while. Away from home and uncared for by their kin, the 200-odd inmates of the Relief Settlement at Palluruthy eke out a living at the mercy of the city Corporation.
The Relief Settlement, known locally as Palluruthy Relief Settlement (PRS), is home to a heterogeneous group of people belonging to both sexes of all age. Ever since it was set up by the monarch of Kochi in 1941, this relief home has given shelter to several thousands of people who, for various reasons, were treated as castaways by the society.
After 60 years, the Relief Settlement still continues to provide shelter for the rejected. But in an improved manner, thanks to the involvement of the People's Council for Social Justice (PCSJ) and the Urban Poverty Alleviation Programme (UPAD) of the city Corporation.
Being run under a project called `Agenda for Caring _ A collaborative effort of PCSJ and the city Corporation' with financial aid from the Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment, the Relief Settlement remains the only one of its kind in this part, promoting the well-being of a section whose pains and sufferings normally go unnoticed.
food for thought
They comprise all kinds of vagrants, including beggars, street children, mother and child wed or unwed, senior citizens, the mentally challenged, the mentally ill, and the physically disabled.
Strangely, a good percentage of the inmates are with various levels of physical and mental challenges. They are no beggars, but driven to a worse state by the apathy of their kin.
Step into the sprawling campus of the Settlement, and one may wonder at the cohesion of the inmates belonging to different caste, creed, sex, age and community. Bear with them if they mob you out of curiosity. The young ones playing on the courtyard, the elder ones whiling away their time on the verandas, and the senior citizens preferring to remain on their cots... there should be no surprise if you are provoked to think how blessed you are with a home and people to love and be loved!
Although the authorities, particularly the police, have turned it into a virtual dumping place for vagrants, there are gems among the inmates. The 80-year-old Janardhana Pai, who still can write short stories with his ever-green memory, and K.A. Prakash, whose poems and paintings have gained him many an admirer, are examples.
Thanks to the selfless work of a few people, including the psychiatric social worker, Jisha Xavier, the inmates now get better attention and better treatment. Together, they are trying to make a better tomorrow for the less privileged ones.
By Abdul Latheef Naha
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
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