OFFICIALS...

Villagers in the area refused to comment on the matter. “Himachalis have faith in mystical powers of deities. The deity culture is a part of our daily life but at the same time the safety of people is of importance. Residents are reluctant to get inoculated but I’ll try to persuade them again,” Kullu legislator Sunder Thakur said on Friday.

Panchayat secretary Tek Chand, too, said he has been trying to convince the villagers to get vaccinated since the government launched the drive for senior citizens in the first phase. But “they have immense faith in the deity and it’s difficult to convince them. I have tried to educate panchayat representatives during our meetings, but in vain,” he said.

“The final decision will be taken by the village parliament. Its meeting is to be held shortly (next week). I’m trying to persuade residents too,” said panchayat pradhan Raju Ram. The Malana panchayat comprises two villages of Saura Behad and Dhara Behad and has a total population of 2,041 in 475 households, comprising 1,039 men and 1,002 women. The main occupation of villagers is sheep rearing and agriculture.

LOCKED DOWN

India’s second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic crept up to several regions that were previously unaffected, but Malana’s relative isolation has kept it from seeing a full-blown outbreak since the beginning of the pandemic. Early last year, the two villages banned more than 20 guest houses in their vicinity from operating. According to them, the local deity, Jamdagni Rishi or Jamlu Devta, had prohibited the entry of outsiders after the Covid-19 outbreak.