Hiranprabha in Jalpaiguri town. Picture by Biplab Basak

Siliguri, May 27: An 88-year-old woman roamed the streets of Jalpaiguri town for over an hour today before collapsing, having been turned away by four of her sons.

Except for Govinda, the youngest, five sons of Hiranprabha Bhowmik have government jobs.

“My husband could not build a house because he had to bring up nine children (six sons and three daughters). But he had always said they will take care of me in his absence,” Hiranprabha said as she gasped for breath, a packet of puffed rice and a bag of clothes beside her.

An NGO took her to hospital. “We have put her on oxygen and saline. She is old and suffering from nutrition deficiency. On top of that, she had been roaming in this heat,” said S.C. Bhowmick, the superintendent of Jalpaiguri District Hospital.

Two of the old woman’s sons live in Calcutta and Birpara (125km from Siliguri). She used to live with the four others — Prasanta, Arun, Ajit and Govinda — in turns in Jalapiguri town.

An employee of the land reforms department, Prasanta had called her to his house yesterday because there was a puja. “Today, she was told to return to Govinda’s. But there she was refused entry. I then brought her back again but she was not allowed in,” said rickshaw-puller Durga Charan Roy.

She also went to Ajit, who lives in Prasanta’s building, but the Jalpaiguri municipa-lity employee and Arun, the third son who stays in another part of the neighbourhood, also turned their mother away.

“Mashima was unwell, I was scared. So I approached local people for help,” said Roy.

Arun and Ajit claimed that they were not aware of their mother’s visit. “We didn’t know she was in hospital. We will go at once,” said Ajit.

Prasanta’s wife Bakul said it was not possible to keep Hiranprabha permanently in their house. “She is not my husband’s responsibility alone.”

Pinu said her husband Govinda did not have a permanent job. “He earns the least among the brothers.”

One of Hiranprabha’s daughters lives in Jalpaiguri, but the woman did not go to her.

Swarup Mondal, a lawyer with the Legal Aid Forum, alleged that the sons tried to dissuade her from filing a case at the hospital. “We will send notices to them,” Mondal said.