Ahmedabad: A migrant worker living in a village close to the Indo-Pak border in Gujarat has chopped off his own tongue. He has done so thinking the ‘sacrifice’ would prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The incident has occurred at Nadeshwari village close to the Palanpur city in Gujarat. The man identified as Vivek Sharma, is a resident of Morena district in Madhya Pradesh. The migrant worker had been employed as a stone sculptor to work on the extension of a temple in Suigam taluka.
Reason for sacrifice
Sharma’s co-worker Brijesh Singh has been quoted as saying in the media that the former is a devotee of Goddess Kali. For the last few days, Vivek Sharma had been restless and eager to return to his native village. He was apprehensive that if he did not return, his family would suffer. However, Sharma had been unable to return due to the lockdown which will continue till May 3.
Saturday morning, Sharma told his co-workers that he was going to a local market. However, when he did not return for a lengthy period of time, his brother called up Sharma on his mobile. Someone else answered the phone and said Sharma had chopped off his tongue at the Nadeshwari temple.
There were some who said that Vivek Sharma chopped off his tongue in a fit of rage. However, others who are close to Sharma said he had made the ‘sacrifice’ thinking it would prevent the spread of the pandemic COVID-19. Once that happened, the lockdown would be lifted. So he would be able to return to native village in Madhya Pradesh easily.
Police version
A police inspector said Sharma has been shifted to a hospital in Tharad town. “The priest of the temple found Sharma unconscious with the tongue in has had,” police sub-inspector HD Parmar has been quoted as saying. “The priest called up the BSF commander and Sharma was shifted to the hospital. Doctors are trying to re-attach his tongue now,” the priest added.
Police however, are conducting an investigation to see whether any foul play is involved in the incident.
Agencies
