A tale of two cities: In Ajmer, literacy plays critical role in vaccine acceptance

Even as residents with better awareness throng vaccination centres, rumours are scaring away people in conservative areas from taking the ‘death jab'.Ajmer: That poor or lack of education makes people gullible to rumours is evident from the difference in approach between the people in two neighbouring Muslim-dominated areas in Ajmer, Rajasthan towards the vaccination drives launched by the government to contain the spread of COVID-19.The Taragarh area, the location of the ruins of an 8th Century fort, is a tourist hub and home to around 2,500 people. However, only 49 persons (about 2%) turned up to take the vaccination against coronavirus despite much persuasion by the local administration and religious leaders. The reason: A note in Urdu going around that said that whoever took the vaccine shots would die within two years.In sharp contrast is the scenario in the Dargah area, which is situated at the foothills of Taragarh, and is home to a population of around 55,000 people. Here, 12,785 people (around 23% of the population) took the vaccine during the first drive, and more people are thronging the vaccination centres at Anderkot and JLN Hospital every day.Failed campaignAfter several cases of people showing symptoms such as fever and cough were reported from Taragarh in April and May, the local administration launched a campaign in the locality to spread awareness about the spread of COVID-19 and persuade people to take vaccination against the virus. Municipal Corporator Shahjahan Bibi coordinated the vaccination camp held in Taragarh on May 31 with the help of the dargah committee of Meera Saheb. “After around 400 persons registered their names for the vaccination by the third week of May, we had requested the Block Level Officer (BLO) to conduct a camp on May 31. But, only 49 people turned up for vaccination,” said Haji Mohammad Yunus, a member of the dargah committee. “The people were scared off by the rumour and refused to take the vaccine,” said Wahid Khan, another member of the committee. “The main reason for this aversion to vaccination is the lack of education and awareness which is making the people vulnerable to rumours and superstitions,” said Sayed Rab Nawaz, a retired forest officer living in Taragarh.(Inset) The densely populated Taragarh area, situated by the historic 8th Century hilltop fort (Picture courtesy: Kshitiz Gaur)After the vaccination drive failed, Shahjahan Bibi has started a fresh campaign to spread awareness about the benefits of vaccination. “We are going door to door, asking people not to pay heed to rumours. We are urging them to take the vaccine,” Bibi said.Meanwhile, in Dargah On the contrary, the people of the Dargah area showed more awareness about the pandemic. “We have banned all public gatherings and even closed the dargah of Khwaja Garib Nawaz Chisty. We are now urging all people to take the vaccine,” said Sayed Nadeem Ghani Chisty, a Khadim (priest) in Ajmer Dargah. At the Anderkot vaccination centre, 12,785 people took vaccination on May 31 alone. The residents who could not receive the vaccine from here are now thronging other centres in the city. “People in Amderkot, Dargah Bazaar and Nallah Bazaar areas are better educated and understand the importance of vaccination,” said Daniyal Chisty, another khadim of Ajmer Dargah.The Ajmer Dargah, the shrine of Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisty, is known for educating people about communal harmony, brotherhood and social ethics. During the first wave of coronavirus last year, several COVID-19 deaths were reported in the densely populated Dargah Bazaar area, and a few prominent khadims were among the casualties. However this year, thanks to stricter compliance to the guidelines, the situation is better. The dewan of the Ajmer Dargah is making regular appeals to people to strictly follow the guidelines of social distancing and offer prayers at home. “We understand the importance of social distancing. Even during Eid, the people here chose to stay at home to avoid gathering in a crowd,” said Mohammad Ali, a resident of Patti Katla. The dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisty remained closed after lockdown was imposed mid-April (Picture courtesy: Kshitiz Gaur)Contrast in education levelsAt the time of the 2011 Census, Taragarh, which is situated on the hilltop at a height of 800 feet, had only one senior higher secondary school. The literacy rate in the area was 65%.  Despite rapid growth in population and the government upgrading the school in 2015, the enrolment numbers are low. The livelihood of the people of Taragarh, the majority of whom belong to the Shia community, is mainly dependent on the visitors to the dargah of Meera Saheb. Many of the elders serve as priests in the dargah. Most of the youth in this area drop out of school at an early stage. Some of them practise priesthood while most others either operate taxis or run shops in the foothills. A resident, Amanna Bano (52), said many youths of Taragarh earn money by ferrying devotees from the dargah of Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti to the dargah of Meera Saheb in their taxis.Sayeed Usman (45), another resident of Taragarh, said people of the locality were quite conservative and followed traditions and scriptures strictly. They lived in a close group and start working at an early age. Rumours, such as the one that triggered fear about vaccinations, were usually circulated first in religious groups and hence, the people believe them blindly, he said. Unlike Taragarh, the Dargah area is home to Sunni Muslims and the area is located closer to the main city. Here, most of the families encourage their youths to pursue higher education and become advocates, doctors or school teachers. A large number of residents are also engaged in restaurant or handicraft businesses. The literacy rate in this area, which was 69% at the time of the 2011 Census, is now much higher.Bilal Chisti of Khadim Mohalla said his mother was a teacher at a missionary school and his sister had completed post-graduation. Even though many people in the area practised priesthood, they gave importance to educating the youth as it was a key criterion in deciding marriage alliances. Because of the higher levels of education and awareness, people of Dargah area did not fall for rumours and strictly followed the guidelines issued by the government regarding vaccination, he said. Doctor Ramlal Choudhary, the district in-charge of vaccinations, also said that the women in the Dargah area came out in good number for vaccination drives such as pulse polio, and such campaigns usually had 100% results in this area.

COVID-19: Superstitions, traditions fuelling spread in rural Rajasthan

From refusing vaccinations to reaching out to quacks in hope of a cure, rural Rajasthan is rife with superstition. Ajmer: Unfazed by the increasing spread of COVID-19 and related deaths, the rural folks in Rajasthan are relying on superstitions and crude practices of quackery, instead of health experts and medical help. Worse still, many people are even against vaccinations because they believe that the pandemic is a curse from God. Many others are influenced by misinformation. On May 27, Dhapu Bai Gemati (70) of Baghelo Ka Kheda village in Bhilwara district hid from her family for five hours after slipping away from the vaccination centre in Kiratpura. Passerbys, who initially thought they had stumbled upon a dead body, found her hiding in the bushes. When they discovered her, she begged with folded hands asking not to be vaccinated, claiming it would kill her. She was shaking with fear when the sarpanch came and talked her into going back home. Her relatives said they will bring her back for vaccination after some counselling.Even as the people of Dantra Dhani village in Bhilwara district believe that hanging shoes at the façades of their houses will ward off the “evil spirits”, those in Lachchipura village of Ajmer are keeping campfires alive throughout the night to please their village deities in hope that they would protect their lives. Similar is the situation in Nagaur, Bhilwara, and Tonk districts of the state, where the villagers infected with COVID-19 are turning to priests and quacks. Because of the dearth, or even complete lack, of medical facilities in some of these areas, the administration is unable to create awareness among these people about seeking proper medical help in case of diseases.In Bhilwara district's Dantra village, residents are hanging shoes in front of their homes to ward off evil spirits. (Picture courtesy of Kshitiz Gaur)Also, the faith in traditions is so deep-rooted in the minds of people that all efforts by the district administrations to prevent them from gathering for rituals and functions are proving fruitless. In Sagariya village of Bhilwara district, more than 100 persons gathered in the first week of May to perform the last rites of an 80-year-old man, defying the lockdown and flouting restrictions that specify that no more than 20 persons should be present at a funeral. “The people fled when they saw us. We seized 15 vehicles from the spot,” said Bhagirath Singh, the SHO of Shahpura police station. However, the relatives of the deceased once again defied orders and organised a community feast later, which was also attended by a large gathering as a mark of unity.A similar incident was reported from Ajmer, where some members of the Koli community organised a grand funeral in the city’s Dhola Bhata area for a person who died of COVID-19. This, when on average, four COVID-19–related deaths are reported from the area every day. “We had appealed to the people to desist from organising functions or rituals that involve the gathering of people, but in vain. Hence, we have requested the authorities to take stringent steps to prevent such gatherings,” said Lalit Verma, a former corporator from Dhola Bhata. Verma said the district administration and the police should strictly enforce the state government order banning marriage functions till June 30. “It is a major challenge to prevent marriages held in villages on the occasion of the Akha Teej. A large number of weddings are held in May because the month is considered auspicious for marriages. We have taken steps to prevent such functions and avoid gathering of crowds,” said Chinmaya Gopal, the district collector of Tonk, who has ordered around 60 families who had planned marriage functions to cancel their plans.A wedding in Ajmer amidst COVID-19 (Picture courtesy of Kshitiz Gaur)“Social gatherings and marriage functions are the major sources of COVID-19 spread in the rural regions of Nagaur. Many positive cases from these areas have been referred to our hospital,” said Doctor Anil Jain, superintendent of JLN Hospital in Ajmer.A major hurdle before the Rajasthan government in containing the spread of COVID-19 is the deep-rooted traditions and superstitions in the minds of rural people.  In Dantra village of Bhilwara district, a tribal area with only 3,000 residents, 28 COVID-19–related deaths were reported in a span of 30 days. Yet, the villagers refuse to take vaccinations against the virus — they believe that hanging shoes on the facades of their houses would keep the “evil spirits” at bay, and that quacks, who often use crude practices such as searing their skins with hot iron rods, could cure the disease. “We have launched an awareness programme and are trying to convince people to take medical help,” said CL Sharma, the sub-divisional officer of Asind block of Bhilwara. The district administration has so far sealed three clinics run by quacks in Pushkar town and Bhilwara. Raids to nab more such practitioners are on in Jahajpur, Mandal, Badnore, and Asind areas. In the first half of May alone, eight COVID-19 patients, who were initially treated by quacks, were admitted to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital at Bhilwara.Even as the government machinery and the medical fraternity wage a war to protect people from contracting the virus, some religious leaders are putting more hurdles in their way. One Prem Agarwal at the Siddheshwar Peeth of Jhanki Wale Balaji recently told the devotees that reciting Hanuman Chalisa 11,000 times within 15 days could contain the spread of the virus in Rajasthan. This has prompted thousands of people across the state to congregate at temples and homes to chant the Chalisa, thus increasing the risk of more people contracting the virus.A graveyard in Somalpur village in Ajmer is fast filling up even as wedding celebrations continue unabated. (Picture courtesy of Kshitiz Gaur)