6 minor girls paraded naked in MP village to please rain gods; parents involved in incident

Damoh, September 7

Six minor girls were paraded naked at a village in Madhya Pradesh's Damoh district as part of a ritual to please the rain god and get relief from the drought-like situation, officials said on Monday.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has sought a report from the Damoh administration about the incident which occurred on Sunday at Baniya village under Jabera police station area, 50 km from the Damoh district headquarters, in Bundelkhand region.

A district official said a response would be submitted to the NCPCR.

Damoh SP DR Teniwar said the police received the information that some young girls were paraded naked to appease the rain god as part of local practice.

“Police are investigating the incident. Action will be taken if it is found that girls were forced to go naked,” he said, adding that villagers believed that the practice might result in rain.

According to belief, 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 said.

Damoh collector S Krishna Chaitanya said the local administration would submit a report to the NCPCR.

He said the parents of these girls are also involved in the incident. The district collector said none of the villagers complained about the 'ritual'.

"In such cases, the administration can only make villagers aware about the futility of such superstition," he told reporters.

Meanwhile, two videos of the incident have surfaced.

In one of the video clips, girls (looking aged around 5) without clothes are seen walking side by side with a wooden shaft resting on their shoulders with a frog tied to it. 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 rain.

“We believe that this will bring in rain,” they can be heard telling the person who recorded the incident. PTI

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