Help dries up for tribal girl despite CM’s promise

A destitute tribal girl belonging to equally ruined background may have dreamt too much. She did everything, prepared for medical entrance exam, cracked it and got offer from prestigious Grant Medical College & Sir JJ Hospital in Mumbai, but Anima Minj seems to have lost her way.

Barring initial assistance coming from Chief Minister Raghubar Das, who following a report published by this newspaper about her hardships, had handed over Rs two lakh to her for taking admission and other expenses coming on travelling etc, lots of promises arrived but none got fulfilled.

Even the CMO had at that time directed concerned Department to bear her entire tuition fee in the form of Government’s post-matric scholarship. “Do not worry about money. If you need more I will give you. The Government would provide all help for your studies. You just focus on becoming a doctor,” the CM had told her with a thumbs-up in the presence of then Chief Secretary Rajbala Verma, Development Commissioner Amit Khare and top officials. But painfully, her application to get the scholarship is loitering somewhere in bureaucratic maze.

“Soon after having taken admission in the college in November 2016, I approached the then Tribal Welfare Commissioner Rajiv Arun Ekka and on his instructions, I submitted an application for post-matric scholarship to Latehar’s District Welfare Officer Kalyan Prasad. Now, the district official is saying that my file has been sent to higher ups in Tribal Welfare Commissioner’s office and Welfare Department,” said the tribal girl over phone from Mumbai.

Later in January 2017, she went on applying online for the scholarship which is yet to get released. Currently pursuing her second year in the medical college, Anima is worried since her fee paying date is approaching fast and the fund available with her is insufficient. As per the fee structure presented to her by the medical college, she needs at least 3.5 lakh rupees to continue her studies further.

“So far my expenses are being met through crowd funding which some people belonging to Jharkhand and living in Mumbai had run. The exercise collected about Rs 1.90 lakh through which somehow my first year fee, lodging and food, books and other required medical equipments were paid. Now, I am worried about my future and if assistance does not come in time, then continuing my medical course would be very difficult,” said the poor girl who also happens to be physically challenged with very humble farm labourer background having five other siblings residing back at village Champa of naxal-hit Mahuadarn of Latehar.

The situation was not so when her story got national attention in 2016. Starting from Khadi Board Chairman Sanjay Seth, to Congress leader Ajoy Kumar, Chatra MP Sunil Kumar Singh, oil major ONGC, SC/ST employees association of public sector undertakings all rushed offering help of some kind or the other. “But none of them are coming forward now when she exactly needs it. I have even approached many of them but to no avail. It seems those were just photo-op for them,” said Manoj Kumar, her guide and mentor.

When contacted, Tribal Welfare Commissioner Gauri Shankar Minj told The Pioneer that the process of sanctioning her scholarship was on. “I have knowledge about the matter. Better you contact the Welfare Secretary. As far as the Directorate is concerned, we have started issuing post-matric scholarships against the valid applications came,” he replied. Attempts to reach Secretary of the Department Himani Pandey failed.

Anyways, courage of the 22-year-old girl which had caught attention of even the Supreme Court that while referring to her case had verbally observed that every State Government should publicise scholarship schemes so that others like Anima Minj can get assistance without being heckled, is looking up to the responsibilities from every quarter of the society.