Politicians join hands to save boy suffering from thalassaemia

Kolkata: In a rare show of camaraderie, politicians cutting across party lines in West Bengal have joined hands to save a boy who has thalassaemia, a few months ahead of a fiercely contested assembly election.

Mainak Sadhu, a boy living in a remote village in the Burdwan district of West Bengal, was diagnosed with thalassaemia when he was just five months old. Doctors have advised a costly bone marrow transplant to increase his chances of living a healthy life. But the boy’s father cannot afford the expensive medical procedure costing Rs800,000 (Dh43,969).

Leaders from the Trinamool Congress, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress party have promised to help arrange for funds for his bone marrow transplant.

“I think my son is blessed. Even though he has been suffering from such a disease he has brought together people who are believed to be fierce rivals and cannot meet. However they have all come together to save my boy,” Nitish Sadhu, Mainak’s father, said.

“His [Mainak’s] father cannot afford that kind of money. He runs a small shop barely earning few thousand a month and finds it hard to make ends meet. Everyone has joined hands to save this boy. If we can do that keeping aside our political affiliation we will be setting precedence for others to follow,” Trinamool Congress leader Samir Deb said.

“The efforts are to save a boy suffering from a disease; and just because his father cannot afford the money it does not mean he cannot live. This is about the human aspect and has nothing to do with the polls or differences that we have politically,” Kingshuk Mukherjee of the Left parties said.

“This is indeed great as it will not only help to save Mainak, but also reduce the tension among parties and can help in brining a peaceful election ahead,” Debdutta Chowdhury, a resident of Asansol, said.