A 13-year-old girl in Hyderabad fasted for 68 days during the holy period called Chaumasa, forcefully so, as her father wanted her to aid his business, reported The New Indian Express.
Aradhana, the class 8 student, had completed her fast and two days later, died due to ill health, after suffering a cardiac arrest, reported NDTV.
She had been fasting to bring profits to her father’s jewellery business. Being hailed as a “bal tapasvi”, around 600 people attended her funeral and even clicked photos with her.
Questions are being raised as to why, when her death happened on 2 October, did it come to light days later, and why did her parents let her skip school to sit at home and fast. The fast was one without food or water.
Apparently, this is not the first time that Aradhana undertook the fast and had done one previously spanning 41 days.
‘It has been a practice for people to undertake severe penance where they give up even food and water. They are glorified, lauded and honoured at community meetings by the religious elders. They are also showered with gifts. But in this case it was a minor and that is my objection,’’ said Lata Jain, a member of the community.
The incident only came to light on Friday, when Achyut Rao, president of the Balala Hakkula Sangam filed a police complaint against the girl’s parents, seeking immediate action against them.
He said that a priest from Chennai had advised the couple to make their daughter fast for four months to start getting profits in their business.
This sort of practice is undertaken by the elderly, called Santhara, after having lived a full life, not by young children.
Hundreds of people came to see her, dressed in a wedding garb and glorified as a deity.
During the meeting, the victim collapsed on the ground and slipped into coma. Immediately, she was shifted to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead.Achyut Rao
Newspapers advertised the completion of her fast and the Telengana Minister Padma Rao Goud was the chief guest for the event where she became comatose.
Source: The New Indian Express, NDTV
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