Padma Shri awardee, 71, forced to dance in ICU: ‘I was sick, got tired’

Kamala Pujari was admitted to the SCB Hospital in Cuttack. (Image: @CuttackDM/Twitter)

Kamala Pujari, a Padma Shri awardee, had been admitted to a government hospital in Cuttack for a kidney ailment when a social worker came to visit her several times. She clicked selfies, posted them on social media and interacted with the 71-year-old, till on the day of her discharge, she made the septuagenarian dance in the ICU of the hospital, sparking a huge controversy after a video went viral.

In the purported video, the authenticity of which Moneycontrol cannot independently verify, the tribal woman is seen dancing to a local song along with the social worker identified as Mamata Behera.

Pujari, after her discharge from the hospital, spoke to reporters in her home district Koraput and conveyed that she didn’t want to dance, but was forced to.

"I never wanted to dance but was forced to do it. I repeatedly denied, but she (Mamata Behera) did not listen. I was sick and got tired," news agency PTI quoted Pujari as saying.

Pujari belongs to Odisha's Paraja tribal community, that has sought action against Behera for making the elderly, and unwell woman, dance against her wishes.

She was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in the country, for promoting organic farming and preserving over 100 varieties of indigenous seeds in 2019.

Pujari was admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack where officials visited her as well.

The Cuttack District Magistrate and Collector shared photos on Twitter from the visit.

Collector & DM visited SCB Medical College today to ascertain the health conditions of Padmashree Kamala Pujari and interacted with her & discussed with attending doctors. Dr Abinash Rout, AO of SCB was present during this visit. pic.twitter.com/qedUbcgOtg

— Cuttack DM (@CuttackDM) August 27, 2022

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also wished Pujari a speedy recovery.

Hospital authorities said Pujari was admitted to a special cabin and not the ICU, where she was filmed dancing. The social worker apparently visited Pujari in the cabin, hospital registrar (administration) Dr Abinash Rout said, PTI reported.

Behera also said she had no ill intention behind making Pujari dance, and apparently only wanted to "shun her laziness".