The State of Bihar faced the greatest challenge of Covid-19 testing during the pandemic. As compared to the other States, Bihar state received the brunt of reverse migration.

The magnitude of people returning to Bihar has put administration and the Government to its toes. Bihar is the third-largest populated state after Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra which makes it difficult to reach each and every people during this pandemic.

Social inequality also plays a big role in reaching health services to the excluded communities of Bihar. In rural setup, the excluded communities’ lives in a separate settlement/tolas at the peripheries of the villages. The situation and vulnerabilities of these communities are very disheartening. Majority of scheduled caste population does not even have land for constructing houses and are settled on public embankments, beside roads, railway line and in some cases in a private land at the mercy of landowners.

Bihar Dalits constitute nearly 15 percent of Bihar’s population of 83 million. The poorest Dalits were declared Mahadalits in Bihar. A Mahadalit Mission, Bihar has identified 18 of the 22 Dalit sub-castes, including Musahar, Bhuiyan, Dom, and Nat as Mahadalits. They constitute 31 percent of the Dalit population in the state. The commission has not included four Dalit castes – Paswan, Pasi, Dhobi and Chamar – in the Mahadalit category. These four categories constitute 69 percent of the Dalit population in the state.

Multiple factors contribute the vulnerability of Dalits including discrimination, exploitation (Political and social), low awareness regarding entitlements and scheme, having no or less access control on public infrastructure, and disasters. Covid 19 is also one of the factors which excluded Musahars from the mainstream.

Covid 19 has been declared as a global pandemic by WHO and identified as a Notified disaster by Ministry of Home Affairs. With the announcement of lifting the lockdown, the Government advised general people to maintain social distancing and use of face mask to check the spread of Diseases.

The Government has provided masks and soaps to the community with help of local panchayats which were distributed as per the Government list. In the entire distribution, the Mahadalits (Musahars pockets) were excluded due to the community ignorance and awareness about the health crisis.

Caritas India with the support of the Hans Foundation has reached out to these Mahadalit families in the excluded pocket with masks and soaps. Out of many excluded Musahar pockets, Koran Sarai of Korensarai, and Dumraon ward no 14 of Dumraon were selected for distribution of MASK and Soap to promote safety measures until they received the vaccine.

A total of 317 families were given 4 soaps and 2 cotton washable face masks each to save from infection. The families were inducted and advised to wear a mask and maintain social distancing to check Covid-19. The support includes the awareness building regarding wearing masks, the importance of handwashing and social distancing.

Shatrudhan Sada, daily wage labour from Korensarai Market shares that getting regular work to manage a day’s meal is a challenge for me and I cannot afford these mask and soaps. The support provided by Caritas India and Hans foundation has helped to save us from Covid-19.