New Delhi: About six minor girls were paraded naked in a village in Damoh district, Madhya Pradesh. It was part of a ritual that villagers believe will please the rain gods and bring relief from the drought-like situation, an official told PTI.
Two videos of the incident have also surfaced, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has written to the district collector of Damoh seeking action taken report & the girls' age certificate within 10 days.
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The incident occurred in Baniya village, on Sunday, about 50 km from the Damoh district headquarters, in the Bundelkhand region. Damoh superintendent of police DR Teniwar said that the police had received information some young girls were paraded naked to appease the God of rains as part of local practice and prevailing social evils.
According to religious beliefs, young girls are made to walk naked with a wooden shaft rested on their shoulders with a frog tied to it. Women accompanying these girls sing bhajans to praise the rain god, he told PTI.
"Police are investigating this incident. Action will be taken if it is found that girls were forced to go naked," he said, adding villagers believe that this practice may result in rain.
Damoh collector S Krishna Chaitanya said the local administration will submit a report in this regard to the NCPCR. He said that the parents too were involved in this ritual and that they will be made aware of indulging in such superstitious practices.
The district collector said that since none of the villagers complained about this ritual.
"In such cases, the administration can only make the villagers aware about the futility of such superstition and make them understand that such practices don't yield desired results," he was quoted by PTI.
According to the PTI report, in one of the videos, the girls who are assumed to be about five-years-old are seen walking side-by-side without any clothes on with a wooden shaft resting on their shoulders with a frog tied to it. While, a group of women singing bhajans follows the procession.
In another video, some women can be heard saying that this ritual was being performed as the paddy crop is drying in the absence of rains.
"We believe that this will bring in rains," they can be heard telling the person who recorded the incident.
During this procession, the women said they will collect raw food grain from the villagers and then cook food for 'bhandara' at a local temple.