Circus Worker’s Wife Delivers Baby A Week After His Death

UDHAMPUR: A week after she lost her husband to a militant attack in Anantnag district, Gudiya gave birth to a baby boy at her mud house in Udhampur district.

Deepu Kumar, 27, who worked at a circus in the Janglat Mandi area in the south Kashmir district, was shot dead by Lashkar-e-Taiba militants when he had gone to the market to buy milk around 8.30 pm on May 29.

"Gudiya delivered a baby boy on Sunday. Although it is a happy moment for the family, it is heartbreaking to see Deepu not here to take a glimpse of his child," Surma Devi, a relative, said.

Kumar had married Gudiya about two years ago.

A deputation of Apni Party leaders led by Provincial President, Jammu, and former minister Manjit Singh Monday met Deepu's family and was shocked to see the abject poverty it was living in.

"They took up the matter with authorities and the boy and mother were shifted to a hospital for better facilities," Apni Party Spokesman Rafeeq Ahmed Khan told PTI.

Manjit Singh said they were shocked to see that the house lacked an approach road, had no clean drinking water supply, nor electricity. "They do not even have their own house."

He alleged authorities overlooked the indigent conditions

Kumar's family was forced to live in because they are Dalits. He also took exception to the fact that no government official had visited Kumar's family.

Kumar being the sole breadwinner, his family of six has no other source of income.

"All six members of the family his father, brother, sisterin-law, their two children, and his wife - are living in extreme poverty and they need to be provided financial support by the government," said Manjit Singh.

He demanded that the Lieutenant Governor, J&K, Manoj Sinha personally visit the family and order construction of a concrete house, approach road, and arrange for clean drinking water for the family.