New mother’s journey home becomes a test of survival in Himachal's Nahan

Just a few kilometres from the heart of Nahan town, a scene unfolded that pierced through the illusion of progress and exposed the raw truth of neglect. In Salani Katola panchayat’s Mohliya Jhameria village, a young mother, Gayatri, wife of Puneet Kumar, was carried home on a cot with her newborn baby in her arms — not in a moment of joy, but through a journey marked by pain, danger and helplessness.

Barely 8–9 km from the district headquarters and only a short distance from the national highway, one would expect basic facilities to be a given. Yet here, villagers live as though cut off from the modern world. The nearest motorable road lies 3 km away, reached only by a rough, narrow track. There is no bridge, no paved pathway — just a risky trail that becomes treacherous during the rains.

That day, the monsoon-soaked earth and uneven terrain turned into a cruel test for the new mother, who had just endured childbirth. Every jolt of the cot brought fresh waves of pain, yet there was no other way to get her home. Villagers, with anxious hearts and aching arms, slowly made their way over the dangerous path, aware that any slip could end in tragedy.

For years, residents have pleaded for a bridge and a proper road, but their repeated appeals have gone unanswered. Meanwhile, political leaders — from current Congress MLA Ajay Solanki to former BJP MLA and party chief Dr Rajeev Bindal — have spoken proudly of development. Yet this incident stands as undeniable proof that in parts of Nahan, mothers and newborns still face life-threatening challenges simply to access or return from medical care.

Until urgent action is taken, the promise of development will remain just that — a promise — while more mothers may be forced to endure the road of pain that Gayatri walked, cradling life in her arms under the shadow of neglect.