Call it blind belief or superstition, these residents gave up meat for five weeks!

Mysore/Mysuru: At a time when people roam around the city thoroughfares citing one excuse or other even during lockdown amidst lathi-wielding Policemen, here is a small Colony that has imposed self-lockdown and has been so far able to keep the COVID virus at bay. 

Not a single case has been reported from Yellamma Colony near Bannimantap while its neighbouring Saibaba Colony has reported a couple of Coronavirus infections. So much so that when all other residents queued up in front of meat and fish shops and bought fresh and dry stocks whenever meat shops are open, this Colony did not eat meat for five weeks after taking a vow and spent their time praying the Colony’s presiding deities Yellamma Devi and Chamundeshwari Devi. 

Along with a strong spiritual belief that gave them a lot of will power, the Colony residents imposed a self-lockdown where outsiders were barred from entering. Even movement from the Colony to the outside world was restricted and the entire boundary was fenced. Even pigs and poultry could not cross the boundaries due to thick net fencing. 

The residents depend on the Government Fair Price Shop for rations and a lone vegetable shop in the Colony for their food needs. They do not venture out to purchase rations. When they stopped eating non-vegetarian food, it was a strict compliance and even the vegetable curry was without seasoning. Anyone violating this rule and ate meat, fish or eggs during the vow period was warned of penal action. 

“Ever since we have taken and performed a vow that we will abstain from eating meat, we are all healthy and the virus has not entered the Colony and none of us have the symptoms,” said S. Nagappa, the President of the Colony. 

Vow ended on May 25

The five-week vow ended on May 25 and on that day, Abhisheka of 101 tender coconuts was performed to the deity and curd rice prasadam was served to the children. On the last day too, they did not eat meat. Colony social worker Ramesh said that while the neighbouring area had many COVID-positive persons, the Yellamma Colony did not have even a single case. 

The residents have a strong belief that the five-week meat renunciation is the reason for this. There are over 200 people residing in the Colony and 80 houses belong to Koramashetty community that usually depend on piggery for livelihood. Women sell bamboo baskets and also trade human hair for artificial braids. Some men also dress up as spiritual characters and earn alms. 

Due to the lockdown, the regular food waste collection to feed pigs by the Colony residents from hotels and restaurants has stopped. They are not even getting vegetable and fruit waste from the markets. Several of them have sold the pigs as they cannot feed them with food waste nor can they buy expensive animal feed. 

Vaccine hesitancy

As many of the villagers follow superstitious beliefs, they do not trust vaccination to cure COVID-19. Thanks to many misinformation campaigns, the villagers believe that vaccines would cause allergic reactions. Only six to seven persons above 60 years of age have got the jabs and a majority of the people in the Colony are between 18 and 44 years and none of those above 45 years of age have come forward to get vaccinated. 

MCC Ward 8 Corporator Akmal Pasha, under whose jurisdiction the Yellamma Colony comes, said that he has tried to convince the residents along with health workers to get vaccinated. His efforts proved futile and he even offered Rs. 3,000 per person to get vaccinated. Still, the residents did not budge.