Anantnag: There is an endearing tenderness in the love of a mother to a son that transcends all other affections of the heart. A dream of every parent to see their children grow up into healthy and capable individuals. Parents often sacrifice their entire life raising their children in the hope that their children will provide them a shoulder of support in their old age. But not everyone is as lucky. Sometimes for a parent this blessing comes with certain hardships.
According to KNO correspondent, For 70-year-old Khatija Banoo, parenthood means looking after 15-year-old blind son. Sitting on the verandah of her humble abode in Hardu kitchru Ashmuqam, a village which lies at a distance of 12 kilometers from the main town of Anantnag, Khatija Banoo seems like any other ordinary woman. But after talking to her, one begins to see her in a different light.
Khatija Banoo recalls being beyond ecstatic on learning about her pregnancy. “The joy I felt the first time I held my child in my arms was unlike anything I had ever known before.” But this joy couldn’t last long because his first son after getting married in 2017 live separate from mother.
“When I learned that I was pregnant the second time, my husband and I prayed day and night that our second born be healthy and sincere. When my second son was born, we were so relieved. We felt it was the end to our sufferings and he would take care us in our old age. But our miseries were far from over. Within a few years, we learnt that our second son is partially blind,” she said.
15-year-old Nazir Munan wants to become a teacher but unfortunately Nazir left school in 4th class after school teachers advised his mother to left the schooling. My husband, having always been courageous, resolved to work day and night and earn enough for our blind sons treatment. But the anxiety took its toll on him. He died due to brief illness when my son was quite young.
Having left with no source of income, I tried approaching the authorities for help but everyone I went, I was met with closed doors and hearts. Nobody helped me. I did my best to raise my kids. I started doing odd jobs just to be able to put food on my kid’ plates. I faced a lot of hardships but I bore them all for my blind son.
Khatija living with 15 year old blind son in a mud house at Hadukichru village of Ashmuqam area getting monthly one thousand money widow pension from social welfare department.
After consult several times to doctors in District Hospital Anantnag the doctors advised there to her to refer her 15 year old blind son Nazir Munan to SMHS Srinagar hospital for further treatment and assured her his light will come back after spent more money on him for his treatment.
In 2017 after khatijja’s elder son Fareed Khan married with a local girl he start to live separate from Mother and blind brother, he vend his whole land of Khatija left Khatija in trouble. Khatija request general public for help and from authorities to lend them a helping hand so that they can treatment to his blind son.”(KNO)