Moodbidri: It is an old grass house rarely seen in villages. An elderly couple along with two young girls and a boy live in this hut. The Dalit family has no government facilities from the last three decades.
The house is located 1 km away from Moodbidri town which is developing day by day and just 500m away from the house of minister of sports and youth affairs K Abhaychandra Jain. The family belongs to members of the Adi Dravida community. A more astonishing fact is that it is the house of late Gopala Narampady, a known name in the municipality, a dalit leader and a man actively involved in Congress party activities.
The house is near Jainpete in Narampady colony in Marpady village. More than 10 neighboring houses in the same locality have all the facilities like electricity but this particular family is deprived of it and still lives in dark.
Late Gopala Narampady was unmarried, now his parents Baidu and Ananda live in this hut. Two daughters of Gopala’s sister and a son live along with the elderly couple after her death. Gopala’s father who is 70 years old is sick and the family depends on the earnings of his mother. The elder granddaughter has started working in a cashew factory and another granddaughter and son are studying.
The family has a ration card, voter ID and adhaar card but they do not have basic facilities of the government except for the right to vote and ration. Even though they have fought to avail facilities it has been in vain. A land dispute has kept the poor family in dark. The old hut which may collapse at any time is in a bad state. They still depend on a Chimney(kerosene lamp) for light in the house. There is no toilet facility or bathroom in the fragile house and the girls depend on their neighbors house.
Due to the negligence of the administration, the family is in a pathetic state. Even though Narampady is developing day by day, the concerned authority has failed to notice the pathetic condition of this Dalit family.