Jharkhand villagers ostracise family due to COVID-19 suspicion
Since the nationwide lockdown was announced, Geeta Devi had actively been cooking food for the poor at a Didi Kitchen — one of the 6,628 kitchens run by self-help groups and sponsored by the Jharkhand government. But on April 18, some people of Murudih village in Ramgarh district asked her to stop cooking and leave the place.
When Geeta questioned why, they alleged that she had been tested positive for COVID-19. They claimed that her brother-in-law who had come from Chhattisgarh was infected with the virus. She tried to convince them, but in vain, Geeta told The Hindustan Times. Even worse it that villagers stopped her from drawing water from a well the next day.
Immediately, Geeta, her husband, who is currently jobless, and their two children underwent a test in Gola and the report turned out to be negative. But the family continued to suffer the ostracism by the villagers, who had also stopped Geeta from refiling her LPG cylinder. Lack of water and gas lead the family to extreme hunger.
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That was when a video of the children crying for food started doing the rounds on social media. A reporter from a vernacular TV channel on Thursday (April 23) posted the video on Twitter, tagging Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. He had said when everyone was helping each other amid the lockdown, the picture of Ramgarh was sad.
In an hour, Soren reacted to the tweet. Directing Ramgarh deputy commissioner Sandeep Singh to look into the issue and help the family, Soren asked people to support each other to fight both the pandemic and rumours. Maintain distance from others, but keep the hearts connected, Soren said in the tweet.
Meanwhile, personnel from the Gola police station visited the village and warned the villagers of strict action if the ostracism continued. After the arrival of the police, Geeta drew some water from the well. But she says that it will not be sufficient for the coming days if the panic-stricken villagers keep chasing them away.
