Residents of Madaiahnakatte hamlet in Hunsur taluk have accused the authorities of forcing them to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
They complained to a visiting NGO that 30 people were vaccinated without taking them into confidence recently. The NGO —Development through Education (DEED) — said that the people had panicked as almost 20 of the 30 people who were vaccinated, are reporting discomfort and some form of illness.
When the DEED visited the hamlet on receiving complaints, locals said they were afflicted by fever. Hence S. Sreekanth of DEED suggested that the authorities conduct a general medical check-up and help infuse confidence in the community. There were also complaints that some local officials had issued oral orders that ration should not be distributed unless people were vaccinated, he added.
“Members of the Jenu Kuruba community are generally resistant to allopathic medicines and avoid injection. This being the case, the tribals should have been counselled and taken into confidence and vaccinated only after securing their consent. But the general complaint is that they were forced to take it much to the chagrin of the community,” said Mr. Sreekanth.
DEED has sent a complaint to the Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru and other officials and cautioned that regaining the confidence of the tribal community would be difficult if such an approach persisted.
