Faimoni Marak, a 19-year aborigine girl, was about to be buried alive, ostracised by society. For, she has been long suffering from leprosy, a disease that her society considered a curse of god and incurable.

Sheer ignorance and superstition prevail among the aborigines where the poor girl was born and brought up along the Garo Hills of northern border village Kharamura, 40 kilometres from Sherpur district town.

As decided by the headmen of the village in Sribordi upazila, Faimoni was isolated from the family and left to live alone on a bamboo `machang’ (raised platform) in the jungle far away from home. There she lived for about a year, groaning in pains and crying in mortal fear. Her widowed mother used to reach her food in the jungle.

The poor girl was rescued by a kind hearted man three months ago when she was about to be buried alive in accordance with the decision of village elders. The man brought the girl to Sherpur and got her admitted to Sadar hospital.

Faimoni narrated her tragic story to UNB correspondent Abdul Hakim Babul, who visited her in the hospital. She said that about two years ago, she received an injury on left leg. Soon it caused inflation and severe pain in the small finger of the leg. A village quack bandaged the wound with medicine laced with lime that led to gangrene with smell so odious that none would come near her.

With assistance of the World Vision, an NGO, she was taken to Mariamnagar leprosy centre and later to Jalachhatra leprosy clinic at Madhupur in Tangail. But treatment there showed no improvement. And she was taken back home and left to live in isolation in the jungle in pain, agony and mortal fear.

UNB correspondent visited her village Kharamura in Sribordi upazila on February 4 where Faimoni’s mother, Jarman Shangma, 50, was found planting `boro’ seedlings on a farmer’s field. She said her husband died six years ago and the whereabouts of her only son is unknown. The eldest daughter lives away with husband. The widow earns livelihood by selling labour and collecting woods from jungle.

Wiliam Sangma, 60, maternal uncle of Faimoni and a leader of the aborigines, said leprosy is a contagious disease. That is why Faimoni was kept isolated in accordance with their belief. That she was to be buried alive, for being inflicted with incurable disease, was decided upon together by village elders, including him, Ajoy, Naresh and Rajendra of the village housing 50 aborigine families.

About three months ago, Mantu Das, toll collector of Daibhanga Bazar, happened to visit a relation in Kharamura village and came to know about the tragic story of Faimoni. On return, he informed the chairman of Rani Shimul union parishad. On advice of the UP chairman, Mantu rescued Faimoni from the jungle on December 14 last year and brought her to Viadanga Family Welfare Centre. As treatment there showed no sign of improvement, Mantu made a written appeal to local MP, Mahmudul Haq Rubel, to arrange better treatment of Faimoni.

The plight of the poor girl came under discussion at a meeting on law and order of Sherpur district on January 27 and arrangement was made for her treatment at the sadar hospital where she was brought on January 29. On examination, physicians at Sherpur Leprosy Clinic on January 30 said she was not suffering from leprosy, but from some other disease.

Meanwhile, Prof Dr Mrinal Kanti Roy of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital after examining the girl said she lost her legs below the ankle due to gangrene. He prescribed artificial leg and physiotherapy for her.

The doctors at the sadar hospital, however, said Faimoni suffers from `Buergers disease’ or some unknown disease originated from wounds in her legs.