Nagpur: Driven by penury, with his job lost due to the lockdown, a 43-year-old man chose to offer a kidney of his on sale to run the family of wife, two children and mother. After losing his job, the loan burden increased. A dilemma whether to live or embrace death engulfed his mind.
Finally, the thought of selling kidney struck him. And the office of Nagpur District Collector was left dumb-founded when the man submitted an application for permission to sell his kidney. He stands outside hospitals and searches for potential kidney buyers fully aware that sale of organs is illegal. But he says this decision, propelled by his desperation, was a last resort to ensure the welfare of his family.
The man is Sujit Devidas Thamke, native of Hinganghat. A few days ago, Thamke formally made an application to the office of District Collector Ravindra Thakare seeking permission for sale of his kidney. Interestingly, Sujit has forwarded a copy of his application to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Union Social Welfare Minister Ramdas Athawale, members of SC/ST Commission and others. Sujit says that he worked in the office of a company in Pune for 10 years. His family consists of wife Savita, mother Girijabai, son Parth and daughter Pakhi.
For Sujit and his family, everything was fine. But suddenly life took an unpleasant turn. Left miserable, he started borrowing money for the livelihood of him and his family. Loan burden took a heavy toll. “If I get Rs 10 lakh by selling a kidney, the money will be sufficient for children’s education after repaying creditors,” he stated. Now the family’s struggle is keeping the children in school, having already defaulted on their fees payment. “I do not want my children’s education to stop, but I’ve no money to pay their fees. I sought more time from the school, but how long will they wait?” he added.
The desperation to secure the livelihood of his young family has been most compelling. “It’s only for my wife and children that I’ve not taken the extreme step of ending my life. But I am under immense pressure to ensure their survival. Selling my kidney to improve financial condition for my family seemed like an honourable thing to do, he pointed out.
The Transplantation of Human Organ Act of 1994 has made sale of organs in the country a punishable offence.
