RAYAGADA: In the age of advanced medical science, superstition still reigns supreme in several parts of tribal-dominated Rayagada district. A shocking story of superstition taking over medical science has come to light in Kashipur block after villagers applied cow dung paste to cure two lightning victims. The incident took place at Kanjangmandi village in tribal-dominated Kashipur block on Tuesday.
According to reports, two villagers, identified as 32-year-old Sankara Bisoi and 45-year-old Biswanath Majhi, had sustained critical burn injuries after lightning struck them while they were returning from farm work in the afternoon. On being informed, villagers rushed to the spot and rescued the duo. After putting cow dung and mud paste, the duo was kept buried in ground for around 30 minutes with a hope that they will be cured. Later, a health worker, Prashant Gouda of Godibali village, came to know about the incident and immediately called 108 emergency ambulance service. The duo was admitted to Kashipur Community Health Centre (CHC) and later shifted to the district headquarters hospital. Their condition is stated to be stable. Mohan Bisoi of Kanjangmandi village said, “Cow dung and mud paste therapy is an ancestral practice of healing lightning victims.
During emergency cases, we apply the therapy and have also got positive results earlier.” As the Maoist-affected village is situated 20 km from the block headquarters, people depend on ancient practice of healing to cure themselves during evening and night hours, he added. A few days back in a similar incident, villagers at Sanlitipuli village in Kalyansinghpur covered a minor boy with cow dung for nearly 40 minutes in the hope of bringing him back to life after he was killed by lightning.