Tuesday, July 7, 2026
ADVT 
India

12-Year-old Boy Branded As 'Devil' For Having 'Big Hands'

IANS, 11 Aug, 2017 01:28 PM
    Tarik, a 12-year-old boy from Uttar Pradesh has been suffering from a mysterious condition of ' big hands' since birth, that made the village folks term him a 'Devil.'
     
     
    Tarik works on a tea stall and lives with his older brother.
     
     
    According to his aunt Pushpa, his hands were always big, and "as he started growing, his hands got bigger" too.
     
     
    Now, as long as 12 inches, his hands have prevented him from doing even the simple tasks. His daily needs like bathing, dressing, and eating are taken care of by his older brother, Hargyan.
     
     
    "When his father was alive he took him to the local doctors a lot. But his father passed away and he only has his mother now, so he can't get any treatment", added the aunt.
     
     
    His neighbours, believing, it to be a curse, have labelled him as a " Devil". The boy has also been a target of bullying.
     
     
    "They don't know it's a medical condition and it can be cured," said Tarik, adding that his family's lack of money "doesn't mean it can't be cured".
     
    Tarik wanted to study, but was refused admission by school authorities.
     
     
    His brother said, "The school authorities said they could not take Tarik as his huge hands will scare other kids. He was denied admission in almost every school."
     
     
    Multiple appointments with local doctors haven't made a difference yet.
     
     
    Dr Pawan Kumar Gandhi said, "Tarik's problem is actually a mystery to us. We've never seen a patient with this before. I have seen a few similar cases but they had Elephant Foot disease, his condition seems to be similar to that."
     
     
    Hargyan expressed his disappointment over local doctors having no sophisticated equipment, and the lack of money for a good hospital, "Every single doctor suggested to get Tarik a proper treatment. But for us there is no way. He has to stay like this till we have some money for the treatment."
     
     
    While the 12-year old hopes for a better treatment, his tragic tale has caught the eye of many international media houses including DailyMotion, Mirror, and MSN, who recently covered his story.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Sukhbir Badal meets Rajnath over SGPC controversy

    Sukhbir Badal meets Rajnath over SGPC controversy
    With Haryana giving clear indications of going ahead to set up a separate Sikh body to manage gurdwaras in the state, Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal met union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to seek the central government's intervention in the matter.

    Sukhbir Badal meets Rajnath over SGPC controversy

    In Kashmir, Modi vows to walk Vajpayee's path

    In Kashmir, Modi vows to walk Vajpayee's path
    Making his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after assuming office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday vowed to pursue Atal Bihari Vajapyee's dream of restoring peace in the troubled state.

    In Kashmir, Modi vows to walk Vajpayee's path

    Wear loin cloth if against Westernism, designer tells Goa minister

    Wear loin cloth if against Westernism, designer tells Goa minister
    The controversy over a Goa cabinet minister's demand to ban mini-skirts and bikinis in order to "protect Goan culture" refuses to die down, with ace fashion designer Wendell Rodricks asking him to to wear a loin cloth to work, skip chillies, tomatoes, potatoes, and stop using a table and chair at work if he believes in shunning Western influences and culture.

    Wear loin cloth if against Westernism, designer tells Goa minister

    More coal allocated for Punjab's power plants

    More coal allocated for Punjab's power plants
    The central government Friday sanctioned enhanced coal linkage for thermal plants in Punjab, a demand pending with the union coal ministry since April 2011, state government officials said.

    More coal allocated for Punjab's power plants

    Delhi's G.B. Road sex workers to finally get new address

    Delhi's G.B. Road sex workers to finally get new address
    This surely is an instance of better late than never - in this case, all of 48 years. The infamous "G.B.Road" address on the voter identity cards of Delhi's sex workers had stripped away their dignity and made them a subject of humiliation and ignominy. This will hopefully change with the Election Commission (EC) deciding to replace the address with Swami Shraddhanand Marg - the road's official name since 1966.

    Delhi's G.B. Road sex workers to finally get new address

    Meeting with Facebook COO very fruitful: PM Modi

    Meeting with Facebook COO very fruitful: PM Modi
    Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said his meeting with Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg was "very fruitful" as they discussed ways to use this platform for governance and better interaction between the people and governments.

    Meeting with Facebook COO very fruitful: PM Modi