Durg.
Thousands of applause used to be heard on the voice of Dr. Teejan Bai, who was awarded Padmashree, Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan, who took Chhattisgarh’s Pandwani singing genre to foreign countries. But now the voice narrating the story of Pandavas in Kapalik style is fading. Now we may not get to hear his voice again. Because now Teejan Bai has also stopped talking.
Instead of improving, his health is gradually deteriorating. She is the only woman in the country who has been honored with Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. Padma Vibhushan awardee Teejan Bai, who hails from Pardhi community and lives in Ganiyari village of Durg district, dedicated her life to the Pandwani singing genre. Research is being done on Dr. Teejan Bai in Ravi Shankar University. He has been awarded many degrees of D.Litt and PhD. Bollywood has signed a contract to make a film on his life 4 years ago. But even after 24 years, Dr. Teejan Bai, who was honored with Padma awards in the state of Chhattisgarh, has not yet received any pension from the state government. The Culture Department has also not been able to make any plan for such artists due to whom Chhattisgarh has got recognition in foreign countries.
Teejan Bai has been bedridden for about one and a half years due to paralysis. His physiotherapy, which was stopped two months ago due to increased blood pressure, has not been restarted. Venu Deshmukh, the daughter-in-law of Teejan Bai’s sister Rambha, who takes care of her, says that she is now worried about the expenses incurred on her treatment. In the name of pension, Padmavibhushan Dr. Teejan Bai gets Rs 4 thousand 3 hundred 66 from the Central Government. The treatment expenses are being met from Teejan Bai’s savings. Here the financial condition of the family is also not very good. At the same time, as soon as Dr. Teejan Bai, considered the pioneer of Pandwani, fell ill, all those people who were once with her during her heyday, shunned her. Dr. Tejan, now 78 years old, is no longer able to recognize people, but having lived in the glare of the media all her life, she does not forget to get herself photographed in front of the camera. Even if only through gestures, she also greets people. After falling ill one and a half year ago, his relatives hid the fact of his illness from the people because the family was dependent on the income from the Pandwani program in his name. But a month later, when Lalluram.com published the news of his ill health, former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel took cognizance and appointed a team of doctors to look after his health. Teejan Bai, who was working in BSP, also got treatment facilities at BSP’s Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru Hospital, Sector Nine.
