Superstition: Man abandons wife after family planning operation

Keonjhar: Coming under the spell of superstition, a man abandoned his wife after his wife underwent a family planning operation. Although the lady has already given birth to 11 children, the man still wants that his wife should be in a position to produce child. The incident took place in the tribal dominated Telkoi Block in Keonjhar district of Odisha.

According to the man, the woman turned impure after undergoing the process of family planning operation. Now, she is not in a position to perform the rites for their forefathers and hence there is no place for her in the house, he allegedly said.

As the man abandoned the lady, she has taken shelter along with her one month old child under a mango tree in front of their house for the last three days.

The man has barred his wife to enter the home. He has threatened that if she would try to enter the house, he would shoot her with bow and arrow.

The man has been identified as Rabi Dehuri of Dimiria village in Saleikana panchayat under Telkoi block. His wife is Janaki Dehuri. The couple has 11 children. However, after death of one of their children, now they have 10 kids.

On last February 14, the woman underwent tubectomy, the family planning operation at the Community Health Centre in Telkoi in a family planning surgery camp.

Janaki has become weak after giving birth to a child every year in the last 11 years. Accordingly, she was experiencing pain and thus decided to go for family planning surgery after continuous sensitizing. However, after returning from the hospital, her husband did not allow the woman inside the house. He said that the woman became ‘maaraa’ (impure) and hence she is no more allowed to the family. In case she forcibly tries to get into the house, she would be shot with arrow, the man alarmed.

As per reports, the Asha worker of the village is trying to help out the woman. She is trying to arrange food for the woman and her child.