THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Identifying 15-year-old Aswathy among the patients in ward number eleven of the General Hospital is no difficult job. Lying within a protective net in a foetal curve, her bare burnt shoulder tells a long story. Aswathy, who worked as a domestic help, was allegedly tortured by her employers, who in a fit of anger are said to have thrown boiling water on her shoulder. ‘’I worked there only for a few months. Initially, they were nice to me, but later on, especially after Onam, they used to abuse me often and beat me up for the most trivial issues. The boiling water was thrown because I spilled some rice while draining it,’’ said Aswathy from the hospital bed. Women’s organisations, human rights activists, SEWA, the domestic workers’ unions and the Pattikajathi Aikya Vedi have accused the police of slow-pedalling on the investigation. ‘’The first violation is that of child right, second is that of atrocity against a Scheduled Caste. They used to make her carry construction material in addition to the daily chores expected from a domestic help,’’ said the Pattikajathi Aikyavedi chairman Ayithiyoor Surendran, who had come to visit her at the hospital. The sub-inspector of the Venjaramood police station said that the case is being directly investigated by the Attingal DySP as it comes under the atrocities against the SC/ST community. The office-bearers of the Pattikajathi Aikyavedi have warned that they would resort to strong protest measures if the police doesn’t take up the investigation seriously. The human rights activists and the women’s activists are also pursuing the matter with all seriousness. Apart from the burns on her back, Aswathy has an injury on her right eye - the skin has peeled off from her eyelid. But the doctor who is treating her says she is fast recovering. ‘’Fortunately, her burns are second degree and superficial. There should be no further complications,’’ said Dr Sreelal, who is in charge of the unit.Aswathy, who has studied up to the eighth standard, is a school dropout. ‘’She said she didn’t want to study anymore. Otherwise, I would not have sent her to that house,’’ said her mother Shyama.Meanwhile, Aswathy and Shyama are surviving in the General Hospital with the help of other patients and their bystanders in the same ward. They not only give them a share of the food they buy, but even some old clothes.
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