Mobs claim health workers ‘checking Muslim population growth’ through immunisation
Superstitious mobs in Muslim localities of Jharkhand’s coal belt, Dhanbad and Bokaro districts, have taken immunisation workers hostage and thrashed them for “forcibly administering medicines to children to suppress their fertility and check Muslim population growth”.
Justifying the manhandling, a section of Muslim leaders in the two districts have gone on to allege that the health workers were executing a ploy of the BJP government in the Centre and the state, to render Muslim children ‘impotent’ and ‘infertile’.
The attacks have left health workers, mostly auxiliary mid wives (ANM) and sahiya (rural health workers) in panic, with a majority of them calling off visits to such localities until they are provided security.
The first reports came from Chilamgaddha and Tilaiyajara villages of Bokaro district last week, where the sahiyas were held hostage for hours for immunising Muslim school kids without their parents’ consent.
The agitated parents let off the ANMs and sahiyas after intervention of higher authorities.
On Friday last week in Wasseypur, a Muslim dominated area in Dhanbad district, residents assaulted health workers for administrating vaccines to kids in Pandarpala high school.
“The government is conspiring to make Muslim children impotent through the vaccine,” charged Md Idris, an agitated guardian. Another guardian refusing to be identified, said “The government should not consider us fools. We are alert and will thwart their designs.”
Dhanbad civil surgeon (CS) Dr Chandrambika Srivastava said, “Awareness is the only way out to quell such attitudes. We are sending staff to Muslim localities to educate people on the benefits of immunisation,” she said.
Some Muslims were not opposed to the drive but wanted more information. Muslim Welfare Committee president Anwar Ali Khan said if there is some kind of confusion in society about a health program, the government should spread awareness and clarify things, instead of rushing forward to achieve targets.