No 'fish medicine' event in Hyderabad this year due to COVID; Bathini Harinath Goud speaks

Bathini Harinath Goud, the chief organiser of famed 'fish medicine', has announced that live fish medicine will not be distributed this year due to the Coronavirus outbreak, and requested people to not believe any fake news about the distribution.

Every year, Bathini Harinath Goud and his family distribute fish medicine at the Exhibition Grounds in Nampally area of Hyderabad, wherein lakhs of people from various states visit to consume fish medicine. This program is held with the help of the state government.

'We request people to not believe any fake news'

"Since the last 175 years, we have been distributing Fish Medicine to people who are suffering from respiratory problems. However, this time we have decided not to distribute fish medicine due to COVID-19 outbreak. We request people to not believe any fake news about our distribution," said Bathini Harinath Goud in a video.

According to news agency ANI, the patients are made to gulp down live 'murrel' fish with a yellow herbal paste in its mouth, which is believed to provide relief to people who are suffering from respiratory problems. The Goud family claims that the secret formula for the herbal medicine was given to their ancestors in 1845 by a saint after taking an oath from him that it would be administered free of cost.

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The family had been distributing the fish medicine at their ancestral house in Doodhbowli till 1997 when the communal riots in the old city had forced it to shift the venue to Nizam College grounds. Subsequently, the government persuaded them to permanently shift the venue to Exhibition Grounds.

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Last week, an NGO working for child rights had urged the Telangana government not to allow the annual event in view of the coronavirus pandemic. Balala Hakkula Sangham had said the state government should not facilitate the event.

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(With agency inputs)