- What a sweet woman! It's a shame she's been surrounded by so much ignorance…
Photo by Dan Farrell on Unsplash
While most love setting world records, that is not the case for Kumari Nayak. Ms. Nayak has set the world record for having the most fingers and toes.
31 Fingers And Toes
Kumari Nayak has beat Devendra Suthar in the Guinness Book of World Records with 19 toes and 12 fingers to 14 toes and 14 fingers. Nayak is from Odisha, India. She was born with Polydactylism a common abnormality at birth where a person is born with extra fingers and toes. Because of this abnormality, Nayak has been forced to stay inside. When her neighbors found out about her condition, they branded her a witch.
Nayak Speaks Out
“It has been 63 years that I have had this condition. The residents nearby, who are too much into blind faiths, believe that I am a witch and keep away from me. They sometimes come to see my condition but never help. I am forced to stay indoors as I am being treated differently which is not a nice way of treatment from my neighbors.”
Her Neighbors
One of her neighbors said: “I know that she has a medical problem and has nothing to do with what others believe her to be. This is a small village and people here are too much into blind faiths. I fell so sorry for her (Nayak) that she cannot even afford to get herself treated.”
People Have Been Killed In India For Being A Witch
Across India, 134 people, most of whom were women, were killed for use of ‘black magic’ in 2016, according to National Crime Records. To this day there are some parts of India where women are accused of ‘black magic,’ and killed by lynch mobs who call themselves ‘witch hunters.’ Government officials in India, having heard of Nayak’s troubles, have offered her a home and a pension, and are making attempts to spread awareness among her neighbors. And the administrative department spokesman said: “We are aware of her situation and have offered all possible help. We are also educating her neighbors to treat her with love and compassion and that she is not a witch.”