Chamarajanagar: Overwhelmed by Covid19 stigma, family of four ends life


Daijiworld Media Network - Chamarajanagar (SP)

Chamarajanagar, Jun 3: All the four members of a poor family ended their lives at H Mookalli village in the district on Wednesday June 2. It is believed that they would have committed this act having been overwhelmed by the stigma attached to the disease in villages and a sense of getting ostracized by others.

Mahadevappa (47), his wife, Mangalamma (40), and children, Jyothi (14) and Shruthi (12) ended their lives. The couple's eldest daughter is married and she stays with her husband elsewhere.

Mahadevappa, who owned 1.5 acres of land, was a coolie. A local had visited his home on Wednesday morning to seek his assistance to bring sugarcane shoots when Mahadevappa or his family members did not respond to his calls. He then grew suspicious, climbed over the roof and peeped into the house after removing a tile when he saw that all the four family members had hanged themselves.

It is said that several people of the village had distanced the family because of the Covid infection. They were treated like untouchables. There is suspicion that this could be the reason the family would have taken this drastic step. Mahadevappa had tested positive for the disease 20 days back but after checks at the hospital he was sent back for home isolation as he was asymptomatic. He had fully recovered a week back and was involved with normal activities. It is said that the villagers refused to buy milk from him even after he fully recovered because of his past infection. A number of families reportedly had distanced from them and were not speaking to the family members. This had hurt Mahadevappa very much.

It is learnt that Mahadevappa had called a close friend from the village on Tuesday night, as he wanted to know whether coronavirus infection gets transmitted even by speaking on the phone. He also lamented the fact that except a couple of people no villager was willing to speak to him even over the phone. On the very next day, the family resorted to mass suicide.

Divya Sara Thomas, district superintendent of police, said that Mahadevappa had fully recovered from coronavirus infection a week back. She said that there is no information why the family took this extreme step.

 

 

 

Suicide is not a solution to any problem. Kindly seek the help of mental health experts if you or someone else you know is under any kind of distress.

 

 

  

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Comment on this article

  • Flavian, Mangalore/Kuwait

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    When somebody in the society apartment is infected with Covid virus the entire building used to be sealed and sanitized. The family members are kept away by next door family. Its a right way to avoid contact and spread of the virus. but psychological distress is over and above the decease which may effect body immunity system. We must learn to live with it rather than getting upset. With all such panic how the Doctors and nurses handle the patience. We must salute them. I have a personal experience when my wife had contracted the virus and me and my son were taking care. Ultimately she passed away. But company told me to produce Covid negative test even quarantining myself for 3 weeks. When I approached the government clinic they refused to do swap test. on insistence they issued me a clearance certificate ruling out any covid virus because I did not have any symptoms.

    DisAgree [5] Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • sense_Shetty, Mangalore

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    Owns 1.5 Acre land ..yet is called as a Coolie ..In this region he would have been a landlord. Om Shanthi .Humans should learn to hone their intelligence too along with their innocence .It will be difficult to reach god without this. Om Shanthi to the departed souls

    DisAgree [7] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • Joel, Mangalore

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    It is due to less education regarding new farming practices and may be less value for land. Land near cities tend to be more high in value then remote areas.

    DisAgree Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • Shetty, Kudla

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    When celebrities gets infected with Covid19, wishes pour in , but when poor gets infected, they become untouchables. Very sad.

    DisAgree Agree [53] Reply Report Abuse

  • rolf, Dubai

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    Udupi: 'Ram Mandir construction progressing at brisk pace' – VHP leader Gopal

    DisAgree [12] Agree [30] Reply Report Abuse

  • Nithin Kumar Shetty, Mangalore

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    Rolf what this has to do with ram mandir

    DisAgree [15] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • rolf, Dubai

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    Pulwama is the proof.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [17] Reply Report Abuse

  • Pallavi, Mangalore

    Fri, Jun 04 2021

    Stop ur unwanted hatred bro.

    DisAgree [2] Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • AJ, mangalore

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    Very sorry to hear these kind of incidents..I am just wondering , r people so naive that they lack basic common sense where they think corona can be transmitted by phone ? Very Strange...

    DisAgree Agree [21] Reply Report Abuse

  • Pili, Mangalore

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    Eye opener. Pls do not degrade the morale of corona infected. Instead support and help is need if the hour. Very sad ..four lives list due to ignorance of society people. Hope we learn the lesson from this very sad incident.

    DisAgree Agree [29] Reply Report Abuse

  • Aam Aadmi, Mangalore

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    Just imagine how Hindutava has treated Dalits for 5000 years as untouchables. The worst form of apartheid ever practiced in human history.

    DisAgree [14] Agree [59] Reply Report Abuse

  • Flavian, Mangalore/Kuwait

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    Ignorance and Covid 19 stigma. At the beginning of first lock down and Covid shock most of the people were shocked of the deadly virus and even if most of the people were infected they have secretly quarantined at home without disclosing outsiders and so many had the symptoms of Covid but recovered with out any major impact. Thanks to body immunity. May be most of us had similar feelings of untouchable and chances of of being neglected and kept distance from community. Now the situation is different but the scare psychological fear still exists to be careful and save yourself

    DisAgree [2] Agree [13] Reply Report Abuse

  • Dylan, Mangalore

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    Very sad, here in this case the Rural Development ministry should educate rural population about the pandemic. Building temples, central vista are given importance than taking care of the people.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [23] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ahmed, Mangalore

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    There was a report in a leading newspaper few days ago about the economic impact of Covid on middle class and poor families. The medical bill for covid treatment in private hospitals was lakhs of rupees and many poor people had to sell their house or land to pay the bills.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [15] Reply Report Abuse

  • anthony, mangalore

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    Very sad. May be if these poor vilagers had access to their elected rep, they would have got the courage from them and avoided this extreme step.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [13] Reply Report Abuse

  • Amaze, karkala

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    In other news papers it says because of hunger they took this extreme step

    DisAgree [2] Agree [15] Reply Report Abuse

  • Deshbhakt, Mangalore

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    Possible. If milk was his only income giving means and nobody is willing to buy it, how can he purchase food items ??

    DisAgree [1] Agree [16] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Nallasopara

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    Luckily people will not blame Narendra Modi ,,,

    DisAgree [41] Agree [17] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ajja, Mangalore

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    There is no worst virus than "INDIFFERENCE"

    DisAgree [1] Agree [48] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ajja, Mangalore

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    Heart breaking news. This is were as a society and community we fail completely. This is not the suicide of Mahadevappa and family, but the suicide of society! Hope divine "Mahadeva" opens our eyes and minds.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [33] Reply Report Abuse

  • Niranjan, Hiraidka

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    See our previous generation people without much comfort had livid a good life upti end.

    DisAgree Agree [25] Reply Report Abuse

  • SachiN, ManglorE

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    R.I.P. what a tragedy. so sad, no words. Govt have to give clear knowledge in their local language to the village people about COVID. Most of the village people they don't know because this we lost 4 most previous human lives. 😢😢😢😢😢😢

    DisAgree Agree [18] Reply Report Abuse

  • Prakash, Mangalore

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    Very Sad, No words to express my grief. May their souls rest in peace.

    DisAgree Agree [25] Reply Report Abuse

  • Global, Mangalore

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    o my God y, y, y? beautiful family lost in despair & rejection by the evil society & UN-EDUCATION, RIP.

    DisAgree Agree [20] Reply Report Abuse

  • Niranjan, Hiraidka

    Thu, Jun 03 2021

    Its an exam time. Let all contribute our unnecessary expenses towards welfare of others in the society. Helping hand and encouragement is needed at this hour. In our capacity we should help those people who needed the most. People should not think all roads closed of survival. We should keep away our ego aside and find out way of earning. For doing any work there is no shame in it as long it is earned through right way. Now a days seen everywhere couple are selling things together to run there family. Problem is far short period. Keep your mind cool. Cut down your unwanted expenses much...think of tommorow..while looking inflation. Pls dont take any hasty decision. Dont bother much what society thinks. If taken loan..try to pool down money from all sources to pay...and start from scratch once again.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [23] Reply Report Abuse


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