Elderly Woman Donates Life Savings to Soldiers Amid Cancer Battle

Bengaluru, June 23: An elderly woman from Davanagere, Karnataka, has made a remarkable gesture by donating her entire life savings to support the country’s soldiers. This initiative is part of a government program that allows citizens to contribute to the families of soldiers who have sacrificed their lives for the nation.

Known for her advocacy of euthanasia, K.B. Karibasamma, a retired school teacher, combined her pension, savings, and proceeds from selling her home to make this donation. Despite battling cancer herself, she has been a long-time campaigner for the right to a dignified death for those suffering from terminal illnesses.

Euthanasia refers to allowing patients in a permanent coma or critical condition, where recovery is impossible, to die with dignity. Karibasamma is well-known in Davanagere for her efforts in promoting this cause, and her recent donation has garnered significant appreciation in the community.

She contributed a check of 1 million rupees to the ‘Bharat Ke Veer’ corpus fund and is currently residing in a retirement home. In an interview, Karibasamma expressed her desire to donate her life savings to Prime Minister Modi but felt it was not meant to be. “My health is deteriorating day by day. I even wrote a letter to the Prime Minister. I have handed over this money to the Deputy Commissioner of my city,” she stated.

She decided to allocate her funds for the welfare of soldiers instead of spending it on her medical treatment. District Commissioner G.M. Gangadhara Swamy noted that Karibasamma has been actively writing to the government about euthanasia and had visited the retirement home to meet with residents. He confirmed that the funds are being forwarded to the government.

Former MLC Dr. Shivayogi Swami called this act highly inspirational and urged society to take a cue from her selflessness. He highlighted that Karibasamma’s total contribution, which includes approximately 600,000 rupees from selling her home and 400,000 rupees from her pension, amounts to 1 million rupees dedicated to soldier welfare.