Age-old practice of Melghat's Korku community comes into limelight, after anganwadi reports of malnourished infants suffering from gas accumulation being given this 'treatment'
Seeing the sickle in his grandfather's hand, Subodh Dhikar of Borda village, who is just a year old, starts crying inconsolably. Four days back, he and his two-year-old brother Sachin were given 146 burn marks by their grandfather and father with the same sickle to cure a disease called phopsa in Korku community. According to social activists working in this area, this is an age-old practice called 'damma', as per which the community members believe that giving burn marks with sickle can cure bloated stomach.
"In Korku community, mothers, after breastfeeding the child, make him/her sleep immediately and leave for farming or other work. This leads to gas accumulation in the stomach and it gets bloated," said Rameshwar Phad, co-ordinator, NGO Maitri, Melghat.
He added that almost every child in Melghat's 365 villages has got damma. "It is commonly given to the child. In some cases, even adults give themselves damma. ...it has been going on for generations," said Phad. He said a bhomka — village priest — generally offers a prayer for the quick recovery of the child and instructs the parents to go ahead with the procedure. "In some cases, parents/grandparents give damma without consulting bhomkas," said Phad.
Social activists and doctors blame absence of basic health facilities, illiteracy and lack of awareness to the practice being followed for so long.
"If something happens to our children, where will we go? The nearest hospital — Katkhumbh PHC — is 70km away. The roads are in bad condition. There is no transport facility either," said Goma Dhikar (65), Sachin and Subodh's grandfather.
Earlier last week, Madizhadap, another village in the interiors of Melghat, was in the news for damma — a three-month-old was subjected to the procedure. "The gas formation leads to stomach ache. The children start crying in pain. This is when the elders suggest giving them damma. While the new generation is aware that the procedure isn't a cure, they have to step aside when the elders insist," said Dr Nikhil Uppalwar, medical officer, Chunkhadi Primary HealthCare Centre.
He added that the Madizhadap incident came into limelight only after the village's anganwadi reported the matter to him and they had to refer the child to Amravati hospital. "The child, Prem, was malnourished. His entire front side — from lower abdomen till neck — had burn marks. He spent eight days in Amravati hospital's paediatric intensive care unit," said Uppalwar. The child's father and grandfather are now behind bars on attempt to murder charge.
Social activists believe legal actions may stop this ritual. "After the Madizhadap incident, the Korku community has got scared. It may deter most of them, but there will be some who will continue to practise it in secret. As a doctor, we have limitation when it comes to threatening them, as they will then not come for treatment," said Uppalwar.
Dr Ashish Satav of NGO Mahan said that to stop damma the government needs to strengthen the health care system in Melghat. "Damma cases have decreased but cannot be wiped out because, for the community, it is an alternative treatment option," added Satav.
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