8-Yr-Old Dies of Starvation in Telangana, Villagers Fund for Last Rites

Hyderabad: An eight-year-old impaired boy allegedly died of starvation at New Premnagar in Mahbubnagar district. With his father unable to afford last rites, villagers came together to help, showcasing community support.

The incident was reported in New Premnagar of Mahbubnagar district (Urban Mandal) on Tuesday. “P. Balaraju, father of P. Harish, a mill worker, suffered financial crisis after the mill got shut recently,” the villagers said adding that on Tuesday Balaraju was found weeping with pain and agony holding his son Harish’s body for eight hours at the crematorium

The villagers said that Balaraju sat in the crematorium holding his son’s body in his lap grieving and holding himself responsible for his son’s death.

Another villager, M. Gopi, said, “Balaraju had no money to perform Harish’s last rites. He regretted that if only he had money he could have provided food to his son and he would have been alive now.”

Gopi further added that when the villagers came to know they contributed money and performed Harish’s last rites.

When Deccan Chronicle contacted G. Praveen who is associated with an NGO said, “When we received a call on our helpline, we rushed and found Balaraju weeping holding his son body cursing his fate. I consoled him and we performed the last rites.”

“Balaraju had suffered financial crisis after the mill he was working in was shut down. He sold everything he owned to feed his wife and two sons,” said his neighbour M. Anushree adding that he suffered another blow after his wife Radha took her other son and went to her in-laws’ house, abandoning their impaired son Harish, with Balaraju.

According to villagers, due to poor financial condition Balaraju could not feed Harish properly and slowly Harish’s health deteriorated and he succumbed to a serious illness and he died starving.

M. Anjaiah, an elderly person from the same village, sold his wife’s silver bangles and gave Rs 1,200 for Harish’s last rites.