Subhash Mahajan
Chamba: Shivering children huddled inside a makeshift hut, icy winds seeping through a torn roof and helplessness reflected in their eyes — it was only after a video capturing these silent cries went viral on social media that the administration sprang into action.
The heartbreaking story of four abandoned children from Matwar village under Bhajotra panchayat in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district is not just a family tragedy, but a troubling reminder of a system that failed to notice their suffering for years.
Mother remarried after father’s d*eath
After the d*eath of their father, the children were left completely alone when their mother remarried and left them behind. With no one to care for them, the four siblings struggled to survive without adequate food, warm clothes or a proper roof over their heads. In the harsh winter, they spent nights shivering inside a hut-like structure, fighting daily battles for survival.
Despite their dire condition, neither the village, the panchayat nor the government departments concerned took note of their plight. The situation changed only when a compassionate individual recorded their condition and shared the video on social media. As the footage spread, it jolted the administration into action.
Administration intervenes after viral video
Members of the District Child Welfare Committee rushed to the spot and assessed the situation. The committee brought the orphaned children under the Sukhashray Yojana, ensuring them protection and care. They have now been provided with safe shelter, food, education and proper supervision.
Panchayat secretary Chaman Sharma explained that a house had already been sanctioned earlier in the name of the children’s father. However, at the time of his d*eath, the children were minors. As per rules, construction could not be carried out in their names due to their age. As a result, the house was never built, and the children continued to live in a kutcha structure without access to permanent housing.
After the d*eath of Matwar resident Jagir Singh, he was survived by his wife and four children — daughter Nisha Devi (17), Santosh Kumar (15), Meena Devi (11) and Arjun (8). Following her husband’s d*eath, the children’s mother left home, abandoning all four siblings to fend for themselves.
