Coronavirus: Hunger drives daily wage earning mother in India to throw five children into river Ganges
She reportedly fought with husband due to lack of money amidst COVID-19 lockdown
In a shocking incident, a woman reportedly threw her five children into the Ganges before jumping herself due to hunger near the Jahagira Ghat in Bhadohi district in India on Sunday.
According to Indian daily, Hindustan Times, a resident of Jahagira village, had an altercation with his wife Manju who reportedly asked him for money to meet domestic expenses. After some time, she along with her five children went to the riverside and she allegedly pushed the children into the river, before jumping in herself.
Indian media outlets have reported that the altercation between the couple happened due to a lack of money and food amidst the coronavirus lockdown in the country.
While the children, eight-year-old Shiv Shankar, three-year-old Keshav Prasad and six-year-old Saraswati and two others aged 10 and 12 who have not been named are all believed to have drowned, the mother is alleged to have changed her mind after jumping into the river and swam back to the shore.
Some locals, who were working in the nearby fields, rushed to rescue the children but didn’t succeed.
District Magistrate (DM) Bhadohi Rajendra Prasad and superintendent of police Rambadan Singh soon reached the spot and engaged two teams of divers to look for the children.
The DM confirmed that it was due to the quarrel with her husband that the woman took the decision to throw her five children into the river.
Reports state that according to some locals, the mental condition of the woman was not sound, but her husband claimed that she was mentally fit. He reportedly said he couldn’t understand why his wife took such a decision.
Daily wage workers suffer in India
The incident has caused social media users in India to react, with many accusing the government of not doing enough for daily wage workers and those financially affected by the lockdown.
Tweep @larsingh wrote: "A daily wage woman threw her five children in the Ganges River, because she got no work in lockdown, no money, no money, no food, a hungry mother threw her five hungry children into the Ganges river, who is responsible for the death of thousands of people who will disturbed?"
User @DineshBajaj_ wrote: "Don’t know who to be blamed for this ghastly act: woman or her poverty?"
Twitter account with the title 'Welfare Party of India Maharashtra', @wpimaharashtra, posted: "#StopHungerDeaths Lockdown is affecting poor people. News of a woman throwing her children in a river in UP is coming. UP government must act quickly to save people from hunger deaths."