26/11 Looking back, Looking ahead 10

Suma Nagmote is a bubbly, chirpy market researcher who had her own personal hell during 26/11 when her father, Commander S Nagmote, who was security head at the Trident was incommunicado for three days during the terrorist attack. She has been a hands on volunteer on the Karuna Waghela and the Shabira Khan case, and seen Karuna grow into an independent, determined and empowered woman.

Here are the cases she has handled:

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Karuna Waghela

(i) Name of the deceased/ injured, occupation and approximate monthly earnings at the time of the casualty:

Deceased: Thakur Budhabhai Waghela, (33) sweeper at GT Hospital. Earnings approximately Rs 4000 pm.

(ii) Where did the casualty occur:

Ajmal Amir Kasab shot Waghela at his residence in GT Hospital compound.

(iii) Dependents (number and details)

Wife: Karuna Waghela (32), Children: Roshni (11 yrs), Dhaval (8) and Neeraj (5 yrs).

(iv) Details of the situation at that time:

Karuna Waghela lived with her inlaws:- father in law/mother in law/ brother in law and his family. The in-laws took the Rs 5 lakh compensation given to her by the government. She was totally dependent on them.

(v) IH contact: Suma Nagmote.

(vi) Details of help/ support provided by IH: India Helps stepped in on Day 3 itself by handing over funds for the last rites for Thakur Budhabhai Waghela. India Helps volunteers provided groceries and funds for Karuna and her children. India Helps also provided emotional support to Karuna. India Helps helped raise awareness about Karuna's plight through the blog, and media which in turn helped raise funds for her children.

(vii) Media coverage:

http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2009/s2543734.htm

(viii) Present situation:

She has moved out of her inlaws home and is living in accommodation (MHADA flat)alloted to her by the government. She is currently working as a sweeper in GT Hospital, a job which she got on compassionate grounds at a salary of Rs 3000 pm. Karuna has been empowered to open a bank account independent of her inlaws. She is also being offered aid by the Taj Trust. Karuna is a strong woman and totally focussed on ensuring her children complete their education and make a future for themselves.

(ix) Status of the case : India Helps is continuing to provide emotional support to Karuna

(x) Future requirements: India Helps is attempting to build a corpus for Karuna's children's education. India Helps is also trying to raise funds to take out a life insurance cover for Karuna, with her children as beneficiaries.

(xi) Photographs: Nil

(xii) Present contact details of the dependents:

MHADA colony, Prateeksha Nagar , Sion, Mumbai.

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Shabira Khan

(i) Name of the deceased/ injured, occupation and approximate monthly earnings at the time of the casualty:

Shabira Khan, injured. Home maker who took tuitions. Rs 3000 approx.

(ii) Where did the casualty occur:

She was injured by the taxi blast at Wadi Bunder along with her son, Abdul.

(iii) Dependents (number and details): The family comprises Shabira, her husband, her children, Abdul (24), Khalid (22), Sabah (19)m Shaheen (18), Shahid (17) and Sajid (14). Her husband works with Bombay Port Trust, earning Rs. 3,000 per month. All the kids except Abdul, the oldest are studying in school (Jamiya Islamiya school).

(iv) Details of the situation at that time:

She had splinters which were embedded and had damaged her nerves in her foot and back. Her oldest son Abdul had a splinter below his right eye which thankfully missed his eye, and hence has not lost vision.

(v) IH contact: Suma Nagmote

(vi) Details of help/ support provided by IH: India Helps helped raise funds for surgery to be conducted on Shabira's foot. Shabira was languishing in hospitals for close to six months post 26/11. She was shifted out of JJ to BPT, Wadala. She was then shifted to to Saifee hospital for an operation on her foot. During her stay at Saifee, they discovered she had jaundice in her system, detecting which doctors at Saifee asked her to be transferred to Kasturbha Hospital which they told the family is a hospital specially equipped to handle jaundice.

One of the daughters had taken leave from school to be with her everyday during her hospitalisation.

(vii) Media coverage: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOINEW/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI

(viii) Present situation: Shabira is out of hospital and back home. She still requires another operation on her foot as her nerves are damaged, and if not done, her leg would need to be amputated.

(ix) Status of the case: Case Closed

(x) In case of an ongoing case, future requirements: NA.

Update on Karuna and Shabira

This came in last week from Serendipity, just been allowed the phone today to check mails, so posting it now:

I've been in regular touch with Karuna and Abdul as well as Jugal.

First Karuna- has been given all the cheques now. She stopped by my office to say hi. She came with one of her relatives.. since she was scared to travel alone. I must say meeting her has certainly cheered me up because she looked like a different person from the last time I saw her. She was wearing some earrings and a bindi and carried a very ladylike purse and overall looked better kept than the last time at her in laws place. Work is going well, and kids are good too. She had to pay a total of Rs 1600 towards school uniforms and is relieved about this money that's come in.



Shabira - Abdul and me have been speaking every other day, he's gone to the govt office a few times with no positive response yet. Jugal tells me there are some documents that Abdul has not yet submitted and once that's through some money will be sanctioned. The operation was yesterday I have not called him yet to check how it went, will let you know.





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Update on Karuna Waghela

This update on Karuna from Serendipity:


Karuna just called me. She's back from the village as of yesterday. She had gone to her village in Gujarat (I cannot recollect the name of the village). Yash (the youngest) who was with her on the trip had fallen sick due to the heat, but he's doing a little better now. She will also begin work today.
All three kids go to Karmaveer Bhaurao school. The youngest, Yash is in the English medium of the same school while Roshni and Dhaval are in the Marathi medium respectively.
The kids fee structure per month is - Dhaval Rs. 160 per month, Roshni - Rs 160 per month and Yash Rs 310 per month.
I don't think this covers stationery/uniforms etc.
Karuna checked with the school authorities if there's anyway she can get a concession for the fee, but the authorities said no. Apparently 26/11 was in the past and they cannot make any exceptions (is what she was told).
I will meet her this weekend.

If anyone would like to help out, please do email us at indiahelps@gmail.com or info@indiahelps.org.

Update on Karuna

This is a couple of days late, sorry Serendipity:

Karuna just called me. She was quite upset and just burst out crying on the phone…she was in a ceremony organized at G.T. Hospital where they've put up some kind of remembrance thing for her husband as well as other people killed in the attacks… she just couldn't control her tears and had called me from within the ceremony.

I just let her break down and be vulnerable for a while as she said she controls as much as she can for the sake of her kids.

The youngest one (Yash) doesn't understand death and thinks his Dad is at the airport and keeps asking. I mentioned to her that she needs to counsel him and slowly tell him that his dad is not coming back…felt horrible doing so.

Anyway, she was better after crying.



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Update on Karuna Waghela

This report from Serendipity:

Hi all, I spoke with Karuna, who has shifted into her room at Sion.

She was quite emotional and was missing her husband...her little one has hurt himself, with three stitches, while her mom and dad are both unable to move in with her immediately since they're both sick. High B.P and sugar respectively...she is suddenly feeling the brunt of being all alone, the only plus side is that she got paid for a month and a half. I won't be able to visit at least for two weekends but she can call me whenever. She travels to work everyday by bus spending over an hour in transit. I have offered to teach her to commute by train in a few weeks if she's not learnt by then, since her travel time will be only about 30 mins then by train.
By the time we hung up she had really cheered up, having cried a bit and venting I guess.
Anyway that's that from her. She didn't seem to know about the trial so I didn't ask.



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Update on Karuna Waghela

This report in from Serendipity:



Karuna Waghela (widow of Thakur Budhabhai Waghela, sweeper at GT Hospital killed in the 26/11 attack) has one daughter and two sons - Roshni (11 yrs), Dhaval (8) and Neeraj (5 yrs). She currently has only her meager salary to support her 3 kids. She is currently working as a sweeper in GT Hospital, a job which she got on compassionate grounds.



The kids are being educated - the Taj Trust will be paying fees till 10th standard as per their last communication. They are also attending English tuitions paid by Sunita from Lest We Forget group.



Although she is currently living with her in laws, she obviously wants to move out into her own room at Sion, which has been allotted to her.



In light of her decision to set up an independent household with her three kids, we at Indiahelps have reconsidered this case since we feel Karuna could use a little more help in finding her footing, especially considering she's bringing up three kids, on a small salary.



If you wish to send in money to Karuna, the bank account details are available with us. Do let us know if you wish to send in games/toys/clothes/schoolbags/shoes/uniforms for the kids or for Karuna, sarees (all either new or in good condition, from Mumbai please) do let us know at indiahelps@gmail.com.





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Karuna Waghela

We had, at India Helps are re-looking at the case of Karuna Waghela, the widow of Thakur Budhabhai Waghela (Sweeper at GT Hospital, who was shot dead while having his dinner, when the terrorists knocked on his door asking for water). We had thought she was taken care of, and had been going slow on her case for a while. More details on the reasons for our change of mind from Serendipity shortly. But, an appeal for folks to send in funds, clothes (saris for Karuna and clothes for three children aged, 11, 8 and 5) and any help they can provide. We are trying to get Karuna empowered and independent. Anyone who would like to help out, please do write in at indiahelps@gmail.com.

Update on Karuna Waghela

This report from Serendipity:


Hi all, I was to visit Karuna and give her tuition money as she had

called me asking for it few days ago.

Before doing so I checked with Sunita of Lest We Forget who told me

she gave her Rs 3000 for the tuition fee last evening so I should hold on to my money.

After which I called Karuna back and asked her if she's got the money

she said she had and has already gone and paid the teacher for two

months.

Shes also spoken to someone at the hospital who said she will be paid

for a month and half this 1st. Have asked her to let me know if the

Taj cheque comes in, in the next few days else I will follow up on both,

salary as well as cheques with her.

The good news is she seems fine, said she goes in to work everyday and

is glad the kids have tuition. So I was happy.

That's it from me.



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Please help this family....

So far I have always been asking you folks who wrote in with offers of financial help to hold on, till I identified the needy, got them to open bank accounts and then got in touch with you.

Well, this lady has opened her bank account now. She is the widow of Thakur Budhabhai Waghela, the GT Hospital sweeper who was gunned down while having his dinner in his home. She has three children and two aged inlaws to support. She will get a job on compassionate grounds no doubt, but it is a tough life ahead.

Do make your cheques out to:

Mrs Karuna Thakur Waghela
(Savings Bank Account No: SB11498, Corporation Bank, Mahanagar Palika Branch, Near Rang Bhavan)



You are welcome to do direct fund transfers. If you would like to send across a cheque or a DD, mail me at indiahelps@gmail.com and I will give you the address to courier these cheques to us so we can ensure they are handed over to her personally.

Contact number for Waghela family

The contact person is the deceased's brother, Bharat B Waghela and his numbers are 9820727198
res: 22914315.
Anyone who would like to offer assistance is welcome to call them directly and enquire as to their requirements.