Rights body helps unshackle man

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, February 25

After years in captivity when he was shackled in a dark and dingy room of his house, Saturday was a day of release for 39-year-old Amandeep Singh of Jhakarwala village of Faridkot.

Stripped of dignity and perhaps ‘love’ too, Amandeep was released by the police and Executive Magistrate, Jaito, after the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) directed the administration to take action for the inhuman treatment being meted out to a mentally ill person.

On the directions of the Faridkot Deputy Commissioner, a joint team of the police and civil administration, Jaito, reached Jhakarwala village last evening and unchained Amandeep Singh.

The PSHRC had got an anonymous complaint about the chaining of Amandeep at his house.

Amandeep was taken to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, where psychiatrists examined him and admitted him for treatment.

“After some days of indoor treatment, tremendous improvement is observed in his condition. After some time, he can lead an almost normal life but not without taking some medicines regularly,” said the doctors.

The family members of Amandeep kept him in chains for years together, declaring him mad, who could not be cured.

“After the death of my wife about six year ago, my elder son Amandeep was in deep shock. As his behaviour was not normal, I got him treated from many doctors but there was no improvement in his health,” his father said.

Besides hurting himself, many times, he endangered lives of others, particularly children and that’s the reason behind keeping him in chains, he said.

Amandeep has a younger married brother and his family has only 3 acres of agriculture land.

In Faridkot, there were many such cases where the District Red Cross Society has rescued such persons in rural areas.

In all cases, there was a tremendous improvement in their health after they were given treatment and psychiatric counseling by doctors.

In the beginning, these patients were kept for indoor treatment but now, most of these patients are getting regular check-up and medicines, but counseling is an integral part of their treatment, said doctors.

It is not only occultism but quackery and wrong treatment also responsible in most of these cases, said the doctors.

As superstitions and occult is a dominating part of life in the rural areas, deprived of proper medical care, these patients are kept in chains in their houses.

In many cases of mental illness, instead of getting medical treatment, patients are taken to sorcerers or dargahs.

Mentally ill persons are eligible for proper medical care under Section 12 of the Human Rights Act, 12 (d) of Legal Services Authorities Act 1987, apart from the Mental Health Act.