Brit sadhu sans papers, admitted to T’malai GH for skin cancer

TIRUVANNAMALAI: Clive Fredrick Newman (79), a British national, who has been seeking spiritual solace and spent the last three decades in the temple town of Tiruvannamalai came seeking help to treat advanced skin cancer that has eroded the left side of his face.

Sources said, Newman living along with other sadhus around the 14-km girivalam path also suffers from STML (short term memory loss) which has made the going difficult for him. Adding to his woes is the fact that he has also lost all his official documents, including his passport, which has reduced him to the status of an alien in the temple town.

On seeing his plight, a Kashmiri resident Khorab Sudhan, who also reached the temple town seeking spiritual solace, offered Newman shelter for some time. But, when the time came for Sudhan to return to his state, not wanting to put Newman out on the street, he along with a social worker P Manimaran took him to Tiruvannamalai Collectorate and tried to meet Collector B Murugesh to inform about Newman’s plight.

However, as Murugesh was in a meeting, the Collector’s PA, Ganesh, was informed and the latter spoke to Sudhan who in turn replied after talking to Newman.

Manimaran told DT Next that based on Ganesh’ advice they admitted Newman to the Tiruvannamalai Government Medical College Hospital where treatment for the Brit was started on Thursday morning.

When contacted, Collector Murugesh said all help would be rendered to the British national in retrieving whatever official documents was possible.

“He will also be provided the necessary treatment for his health condition,” he added.

The sadhu meanwhile was at ease in the hospital, sources revealed.