Erwadi fire incident
Encyclopedia
Erwadi fire incident is an accident that occurred on 6 August 2001, when 28 inmates of a faith based
mental asylum died in fire. All these inmates were bound by chains at Moideen Badusha Mental Home at Erwadi
in Tamil Nadu
.
Large number of mental homes existed in Erwadi which was famous for the dargah
of Quthbus Sultan Syed Ibrahim Shaheed Valiyullah, a Moroccan who came to India to propagate Islam. Various people believe that "holy water" from the dargah and oil from the lamp burning there have the power to cure all illnesses, especially mental problems. The treatment, also included frequent canning, beatings supposedly to drive away the evil. During the day, patients were tied to trees with thick ropes. At night, they were tied to their beds with iron chains. The patients awaited divine command in their dream to go back home. For the command to come it was expected to take anything from two months to several years.
As number of person seeking cure at dargah increased, homes were setup by individuals to reportedly take care of the patients. Most of these homes were setup by pesons who themselves had come to Erwadi seeking cure or their relatives.
In 2007, the owner of the Badsha Home for the Mentally Challenged, his wife and two relatives were sentenced to seven years imprisonment by a magistrate Court.
Faith healing
Faith healing is healing through spiritual means. The healing of a person is brought about by religious faith through prayer and/or rituals that, according to adherents, stimulate a divine presence and power toward correcting disease and disability. Belief in divine intervention in illness or...
mental asylum died in fire. All these inmates were bound by chains at Moideen Badusha Mental Home at Erwadi
Erwadi
Ervadi or Erwadi is a village in Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu in southern India belonging to Kadaladi Taluk and Keelakarai Town panchayat. The village is the location of the grave and shrine of Qutbus Sultan Syed Ibrahim Shaheed Badusha, the then ruler of Madinah Al Munawwara...
in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
.
Large number of mental homes existed in Erwadi which was famous for the dargah
Dargah
A Dargah is a Sufi shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint. Local Muslims visit the shrine known as . Dargahs are often associated with Sufi meeting rooms and hostels, known as khanqah...
of Quthbus Sultan Syed Ibrahim Shaheed Valiyullah, a Moroccan who came to India to propagate Islam. Various people believe that "holy water" from the dargah and oil from the lamp burning there have the power to cure all illnesses, especially mental problems. The treatment, also included frequent canning, beatings supposedly to drive away the evil. During the day, patients were tied to trees with thick ropes. At night, they were tied to their beds with iron chains. The patients awaited divine command in their dream to go back home. For the command to come it was expected to take anything from two months to several years.
As number of person seeking cure at dargah increased, homes were setup by individuals to reportedly take care of the patients. Most of these homes were setup by pesons who themselves had come to Erwadi seeking cure or their relatives.
Post incident
All these mental homes were closed on 13 August 2001 and more than 500 inmates were taken under government's care,.As per Supreme Court directions a commission headed by N. Ramdas was set up to enquire into these deaths. Commission recommended to care of mentally ill is to be improved, anybody wishing to setup a mental home to acquire a license and all inmates be unchained.In 2007, the owner of the Badsha Home for the Mentally Challenged, his wife and two relatives were sentenced to seven years imprisonment by a magistrate Court.