SOCIAL PROBLEM AND IGNORANCE
Arsenic poisoning in villages of West Bengal and Bangladesh are causing social problems that are the
biggest curse. The prevailing social problems in the villages are as follows.
1. Due to ignorance, the villagers assume the arsenical skin lesions are a case of leprosy and rce arsenic patients to maintain an isolated life or avoid them socially. It is a social curse and human tragedy.
2. Affected wives are sent back to their parents and often with their children.
3. Marriages in the affected villages have become a serious problem because of skin lesions.
4. Jobs/services have been denied/ignored to the arsenic-affected people.
5. When a husband or a wife has been singled out as an arsenic patient, the social problem has increased and destroyed the social fabric.
Most of the people in the affected villages are not aware of the serious consequence of arsenic toxicity. People think arsenical skin lesions are just a single skin disease and will be cured with ointment. Some of them also think the skin lesions are the Wrath of God or Curse of God.’’ A group also think the skin manifestation is due to the sin committed in heir last birth.
