On friday, 18-year-old Archana Saxena breached security in a desperate bid to get the President’s ear. A day later, she was sacked from the local hospital, where she had been working as a nurse for the last two years for a monthly salary of Rs 900, for doing so.‘‘My employer said I had behaved like a terrorist by going to the dais where the President and other VVIPs were sitting. I was thrown out, with a half month’s salary,’’ she said.During President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s visit on Friday, Archana had rushed to the dais, pleading for his intervention in saving the lives of her parents, who, she claimed, were under threat. Among those seated on the dais, at the function in Rudahi town, about 20 km from here, was Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav too.Out of work now, Archana is worried about how her family will make ends meet. Besides her aged parents, she has two sisters and a brother. But she has no regrets about her action.‘‘Mujhe Rashtrapatiji ke suraksha kawach bhedne par pachtava nahin hain. Woh humare Raja hain, aur agar Raja ke samne hum apni fariyad nahin uthaynge to kiske samne lekar jayenge,’’ she said.Her father, Sunderlal, added: ‘‘I have no source of income. Now, my daughter, who was earning Rs 900 per month, has also been sacked following pressure of the village head. We have been rendered moneyless only because my daughter tried to highlight the oppression by local powerful people.’’
