Mentally-ill patients chased away from dargah

By B.Arumugam

MURUGAMALLE (KOLAR Dt.) AUG. 10. At a time when 25 mentally-ill patients were charred to death in a fire accident in Erwadi near Ramanathpuram in Tamil Nadu, 50 mentally-ill patients, who had taken shelter at the famous Dargah at Murugamalle in Chintamani taluk in Kolar District, are reported to have been "chased away" by the authorities concerned.

The Vazeer Shah Wali Dargah at Murugamalle, 40 km. from Kolar, has been an "asylum" for mentally-ill patients from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu as well as from far off places such as Ajmer in Rajasthan. The dargah is said to be over 500-years old.

This Correspondent visited the dargah on Thursday morning, and saw many patients along with their relatives taking shelter under the trees situated nearby. Mr. Ismail, a resident of Murugamalle, said that since his childhood he had seen mentally-ill patients being brought to the village where their relatives offered prayer at the dargah.

More than 200 patients were being brought to the dargah every Friday, and the dargah resembled a "mental hospital." Patients with minor complaints would return the same day, but patients with chronic complaints were advised to stay for a few days by the local people, he added.

Mr. Narayanaswamy, a shop owner, said that on the fullmoon day, more than 400 patients visited the dargah from far-off places with their relatives. The relatives would be asked to take shelter under a tree, if the authorities could not provide accommodation to them.

Another resident of Murugamalle, Mr. Sadiq Ahmed, said that it was only the belief of the patients and their relatives which cured the patients. People from all walks of life and from all communities visited the dargah. The dargah authorities did not collect any money from the relatives of the patients.

However, on Thursday, most of the patients and their relatives were "chased away" by the police following the tragic incident at Erwadi. They were then forced to seek shelter in the houses belonging to the villagers. This Correspondent met a patient Govinda Reddy (28) from Kadiri in Andhra Pradesh, whose legs were chained to a post, as otherwise he would become violent. His aunt, who accompanied him, said that she had come here as two mentally-ill patients from her village had got cured after offering prayers at the dargah.

At the dargah, it was seen that the entire area was filled with patients and their relatives, who belonged to different communities: A fine example of communal harmony.

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