Recently, Japanese travel blogger Dotabata Travelogue was maliciously attacked on the banks of the Ganges River in India. After refusing to give money to local boys begging, they were doused with cow dung-filled water balloons, which caused high fever and difficulty breathing, forcing them to be hospitalized for emergency treatment.
On the 26th of this month, the blogger and a companion were strolling along the Ganges River in Varanasi, India, when they were blocked by three local boys demanding 20 rupees (about 0.87 ringgit). The pair clearly refused and turned to leave.
However, the boys immediately threw homemade water balloons, which burst and splattered them with liquefied cow dung, the stench so strong it was nauseating.
Soon after the incident, the two developed high fever, difficulty breathing, and trouble standing, and were rushed to a local hospital for treatment.
During hospitalization, the ward environment was rudimentary, cockroaches rampant, and due to language barriers, communication with medical staff was difficult. After IV infusion, their arms became swollen, leaving them extremely weak. To make matters worse, all meals provided by the hospital were heavily spiced curries, which they found inedible, further aggravating their discomfort.
After four days of treatment, the blogger and companion were finally discharged, but had to pay a hefty medical bill of around 153,000 yen (about 3,900 ringgit), which is 2,000 times the original amount refused to the beggars.
The blogger shared the entire experience on social media, including photos of themselves covered in cow dung, arousing widespread sympathy and discussion among netizens. Some pointed out that in certain parts of India, harassment by youths seeking money has become commonplace; if you compromise, they will escalate their demands, and may even take all your clothes and belongings in the end.