‘Our daughter lost a leg, but her dreams are alive’

Coimbatore: Dreams of a 20-year-old girl to help her family tide over the financial crisis were shattered for a moment when the roof of the Somanur bus stand collapsed on September 7. Though she has lost a leg in the incident, her dreams and hopes are still alive, said her parents.

Daughter of daily wage labourer couple from Devarayampalayam village, Latha, a final year BSc biochemistry student, wanted to pursue post-graduation and land a government job to help her family meet both ends. But, just as she, along with her friend C Dharani, 20, of Ichipatti, stepped into the bus stand on the fateful day, its roof collapsed and she was trapped under the debris. Her left leg was badly injured and doctors have amputated it. Dharani was among the 23 dead.

Now, Latha's family has no idea how to meet the treatment cost and bills to the tune of Rs 4 lakh are pending. The family has now sought help from the public as the government has granted them just Rs 50,000 as solatium.

Latha's parents D Narayanasamy, 45, and N Jayalakshmi, 42, are daily wage labourers with a powerloom unit in Somanur. They earn less than Rs 400 a day. Her younger brother N Sasikumar, 19, a diploma holder in mechanical engineering, is yet to land a job. The family is residing in a rental tiled house, paying a monthly rent of Rs 1,500.

"She often told me that she would complete her post-graduation course and find a government job to help the family. She was very active and loved to walk a lot. Though she has lost her left leg, her dreams and hopes are alive," her father said.

Latha, a student of Dr NGP College of Arts and Science in Kalapatti, was returning home after appearing for an exam when the incident took place. Immediately, she was rushed to Richmond Hospital in the city, where doctors amputated her left leg.

Narayanasamy said Latha was very courageous and she was determined to fulfil her dream of landing a job in the public sector. "I am a Class II dropout and my wife, a Class VII dropout. We know the importance of education and we are working hard to educate our children," he said.

The hospital management wanted to perform a surgery on Monday, but it was postponed as the wounds hadn't healed properly. "The government gave us just Rs 50,000 as compensation. But the medical expenses have touched above Rs 4 lakh. We are not in a position to foot the bill. We want the government to offer my sister a job," said Sasikumar, Latha's brother.