By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad: Minor rashes after applying henna on the hands snowballed into major issue in the southern region of the country triggering another rumour on the eve of Eid festival. The region has already witnessed exodus of North East Indians fuelling passion.
This one came after in many parts of south India Muslim women who applied mehendi on their palms reported severe rashes, itching and skin irritation. Many of those women were from Andhra and Rayalseema regions of Andhra Pradesh, and northern Tamil Nadu cities bordering Rayalseema region. Muslim women apply henna or mehndi on their hands for Eid.
First incident was reported in Bhavanipura area in Vijayawada city of Krishna district in Andhra region, where reportedly nearly 200 women were affected after using Mehendi which had reportedly expired.
Another 20 of them were treated in Global Hospital of the city. Eight such cases were reported in Government general hospital of Guntur district again in Andhra region. Vijayawada city police has taken four mehendi distributors into custody for selling expired mehendi cones and has sent samples for chemical testing. According to the police allergy is caused due to the Mehendi sold from the old stock, or certain chemicals used in its production.
Mosques in Vijayawada city went a step ahead and advised Muslims in prayer congregations to restrain their women from applying mehendi which is causing allergic reactions. This move by mosques further added to the rumors and it spread like a wild fire.
Similar complaints were received from Anantapur, Kurnool, and Kadappa districts of Rayalseema region. In Hindupur town of Anantapur district rumor took a turn from allergy to acidic reaction after usage of Mehendi, several women thronged to the hospitals only on mere suspicion and psychological fear.
Rumors spread fast to another states, northern Tamilnadu was the first to get into the grip of the rumors. In Vellore town of Tiruvannamalai district it was reported that nearly 400 to 500 women rushed to the govt. hospitals for treatment not taking any chances before Eid-ul-fitr. However all of them were find completely fine after the medical tests, thus no one was admitted in the hospitals. In Vaniyambadi town same scene was witnessed creating panic in Muslim community there, which even led to minor stone pelting incident.
Till the news reached Hyderabad and Telangana region on the night before the Eid it already gone under a sea of change, several local news channels reported possible deaths of Muslim women with severe hands burning due to acidic reaction, which resulted in panic among Muslim women Muslim women who didn’t get a chance to apply mehendi due to these fears were seen in their households termed it as a conspiracy against their community women.