Widows in Varanasi miss the COVID19 vaccine bus for want of proof of identity

The ancient city of Varanasi, Prime Minister Modi’s constituency, is home to thousands of widows, most of whom are ineligible for the COVID19 vaccine as they do not have an Aadhaar card. This, despite a month-old directive from UIDAI saying no one should be denied vaccines citing this reason.

Anand Kumar
| Updated: June 29th, 2021

Despite the UIDAI waiver, many women, even those in the state-run welfare home in Varanasi, were denied vaccination because they had no proof of identity.

The government machinery has rolled out the vaccination programme across the country, and 315 million Indians have been vaccinated, but there are some groups that have slipped through the cracks. According to official data, as of June 26 this year, those vaccinated included 90 million people above the age of 60.  However, in Varanasi, thousands of women who fall into this category have missed the bus. 

According to the 2011 census, there are approximately 38,000 widows in Varanasi. The city has long been considered a haven for these abandoned women, and while there are many old age and destitute homes, they cannot  accommodate them all. Hundreds of them are forced to live on the pavements, begging for alms near temples and ghats, in order to survive.

Also Read: Addressing vaccine hesitancy in rural India, one jab at a time

No proof, no benefits

Manju Devi, who begs for alms outside the Kashi Vishwanath temple, knows nothing about the vaccine. But she does feel the lack of an Aadhaar card keenly. “I don’t get ration or widow pension, because I don’t have an Aadhaar card,” she told Gaon Connection

When asked how many widows in the city had been vaccinated so far, Gaurang Rathi, municipal commissioner, Varanasi, and DB Singh, chief medical officer said that they did not yet have any data on this.

Manju Devi pointed out that in order to obtain an Aadhaar card, she required some proof of identity. But she had none. “I need Aadhaar to find work too, and that is why I am compelled to beg on the streets,” she said. 

The pandemic has only made things worse for women such as Manju Devi. With temples and shops pulling down their shutters, their means of livelihood from alms has ground to a halt. Since the majority of them have no identification papers, including an Aadhaar card, they are also unable to claim ration or benefit from any other welfare schemes.

Aadhaar not required for vaccination, says UIDAI 

However, on May 15, in a welcome move, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), waived the Aadhaar requirement for administering the vaccine, stating no one should be denied vaccination for want of an Aadhaar card. 

But, despite the UIDAI waiver, many women, even those in the state-run welfare home in Varanasi, were denied vaccination because they had no proof of identity. 

Also Read: 50% drop in COVID19 vaccination in India in the past month, shows govt’s Co-WIN data

A health crisis

Even after the waiver announcement on May 15, those without Aadhaar were denied vaccination at the camps organised for widows in old age homes on May 19 and June 2, Dev Sharan Singh, the superintendent of Rajkiya Ashram (State Residential Home for Old and Disabled Women, Durgakund), told Gaon Connection

Of the 18 widows living there, only nine were vaccinated. The remaining had no Aadhaar card or other identification papers, and, therefore, were not eligible for vaccination, he said. Similarly, none of the 14 widows living in Asha Bhawan in Ashapur has been vaccinated for want of   Aadhaar proof. 

According to Niranjan of Apna Ghar Ashram, the lack of Aadhaar cards has also been a significant barrier in testing for Corona.

When 43 women, including 38 widows, in Apna Ghar Ashram, were found ineligible for vaccines because they had no proof of identity, DK Niranjan, the manager of the ashram prevailed upon the health department to give them the vaccine. 

Also Read: At deserted COVID vaccination camps, hapless ASHAs fail to convince hesitant villagers to get the jab

 “Because they did not have an Aadhaar card, none of the widows in the ashram could receive the vaccine,” Niranjan told Gaon Connection. He approached the administration and under the aegis of  Neelkanth Tiwari, Uttar Pradesh minister for Tourism, Culture and Religious Affairs, all the ashram inmates were administered the COVID19 vaccine, at a camp organised on June 22. 

Also Read: Rural healthcare, stigma and lack of risk communication have compounded the impact of COVID second wave in rural India

On June 23, DB Singh, chief medical officer (CMO), Varanasi, told Gaon Connection, “A system is being devised to vaccinate widows who live in old age homes who do not possess an Aadhaar card. Once that order is issued, these widows will receive the corona vaccine.” 

When it was pointed out to him that even well after the UIDAI waiver, women were still being denied the vaccine because they could not furnish an Aadhaar card, CMO Singh said,  “The person entrusted with the task of vaccinating the women at the ashrams was unaware about the directive.” That was the only reason why those widows were refused vaccinations, he added.

On June 28, CMO DB Singh clarified to Gaon Connection that express directions had been given to people in charge of ashrams that their Aadhaar cards would be used as proof of identity for women inmates without any of their own, and they would be vaccinated.  

According to Niranjan of Apna Ghar Ashram, the lack of Aadhaar cards has also been a significant barrier in testing for Corona. The RT PCR test for widows could not be carried out.

Later, residents of the ashram were tested for Corona by setting up a camp. Niranjan said he had also appealed to the chief minister and the district magistrate about the problems arising due to the inmates not having Aadhaar cards. 

“The majority of the widows do not have an Aadhaar card or any other form of identification. I later registered the widows residing in the ashram using my ID for Corona tests,” he said. Corona tests cannot be performed on those without an Aadhaar card because of a lack of clear government guidelines.

Also Read: Rising hunger stares rural India in the face as the second wave of COVID invades villages

But, ultimately, the tests were conducted along with the support of the district authorities, Niranjan added. “It is a great pity that women in the ashram are unable to benefit from any government scheme, including  widow pension, as they do not have any proof of identity,” he said.

Lack of identity papers leave the widows and destitute women living in ashrams such as the Government Old Age Home and Asha Bhawan unable to benefit from any government social security schemes either. 

Antigen test survey by BHU

Meanwhile, a team led by Vijay Nath Mishra, department of neurology, Banaras Hindu University, will conduct an antigen test survey on nearly 300 male and female pavement dwellers. “If we don’t detect antibodies during the survey, they are clearly carriers,” Mishra said. “Society benefits by vaccinating this moving population even if they do not have Aadhaar cards,” he added. 

“Unvaccinated people can theoretically be substantial carriers during the third wave of Corona,” Mishra told Gaon Connection

Challenges facing authorities 

“Many people are unable to visit a vaccination centre because they are not mobile,” said Mishra. He urged the powers that be to step up vaccinations even for those who did not have a phone number or an Aadhaar card. Floating populations such as those who lived and begged on the streets of Varanasi were not just vulnerable to infection, but could also be carriers of the coronavirus, he said. This poses a threat, not just to Varanasi, or the country but also to the world as the city receives tourists from all over the world, he pointed out.

When asked how many widows in the city had been vaccinated so far, Gaurang Rathi, municipal commissioner, Varanasi, and DB Singh, chief medical officer said that they did not yet have any data on this. 

With inputs from Jagriti

Read this report in Hindi