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Tribals refuse to take Covid vaccine, MP turns to community leaders, activists
The worst affected district is Alirajpur where only 11 % have received the jab followed by Mandla (12%), Dindori and Umaria (14 %)
With tribals in Madhya Pradesh refusing to get themselves vaccinated against Covid-19, the state has turned to local gurus, community leaders, or activists to convince them to take the jab. Vaccine hesitancy is quite marked in tribal population dominated districts of the state, including Dindori, Mandla, Umaria Alirajpur, and Sheopur. The worst affected district is Alirajpur where only 11 % have got the jab followed by Mandla (12%), Dindori and Umaria (14 %).
The main reason, say health officials, is the tribals’ belief that they have immunity against diseases. For instance, Rati Baiga, 58, of Panthgaon Banjara Tola village of Dindori refused the vaccine as she thinks she has strong immunity due to body tattoos, an old age tradition of the Baiga tribe. Most of the people of the scheduled tribe community, accounting for more than 21% of the population of the state, are not ready to take the jab. They cite body tattoos, amulet, herbs necklace, worship of deities and consumption of medicinal herbs, Mahua liquor and the fear of death after vaccination for rejecting the jab.
A resident of Baiga Chaak of Dindori, Thaavi Singh, said, “We are born with strong immunity against all the diseases. We also don’t trust the state government which wants us dead as we are of no use to them.”
“We consume medicinal herbs. Not a single Covid case has been reported in our village so why would we take any risk? We are absolutely safe,” Bheru Singh Bhil of Narela village of the district.
In Betul, 47 tribal villages have said they will not take the vaccine. “We make liquor from Mahua (Madhuca longifolia) which has alcohol and steam generated from the liquor sanitises our villages. We don’t have any risk of Covid as we have strong immunity so we will not take the vaccine,” said Kadak Singh Korku, a resident of Guradiya village of Betul.
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Meanwhile, the health department and local administration continue to struggle. Dindori collector Ratnakar Jha said, “The Tribal population is not ready to take vaccination due to their traditional practices and rumours. For the past three months, we have been trying to convince them. Now, we are taking the support of those they trust.”
“Some anti-social elements spread rumours that government is working against tribal and they will die after vaccination. We tried to convince them that we have also taken the same dose, but they said there are different vaccines for them meant to harm them,” said Surabhi Gupta, collector Alirajpur district.
“Only community leaders can explain to them now because all our efforts have gone waste. We are also approaching the educated young population from among them to convince the elders,” she added.
Dindori-based tribal rights activist Naresh Biswas said, “The district administration asked us to convince them and we are holding chaupals for the same. They are afraid of the adverse effects of vaccine...It will take time to convince them.”
Another activist, Dr Vijay Chaurasia, said, “The administration has contacted us, but it is hard to convince them, especially the 45+ age group as there are many who have never taken any injection in their lives. We are convincing the young people first first.”
Some activists feel that government should win the trust of tribal first.
A tribal working in West MP, Gajanand Brahmane, said, “They have trust issues. The government should win their trust first by resolving their existing problems like providing house under the scheme, providing rice through ration card, etc.”
Medical education department minister Vishwas Sarang said, “Officers and locals are putting their effort into administering vaccine to tribals and we are sure they will succeed by July. I have asked them to organise camps in the villages.”
To be sure, while overall vaccine supplies may be there at the state level, individual vaccination centres may run out of stock on account of how the states manage their replenishments.
