Village heads punish 5-yr-old, brands her an outcast

Kota: Branding outcast for a certain period of time to a person as practice of penance and purification of sin for killing or harming a bird or creature is seen as a common social custom in almost all the communities in rural areas of Rajasthan. The incident of a five-year-old girl, who was lashed with community heads’ diktat of outcast in Haripura village of Hindoli tehsil in Bundi district collected heat and administrative attention only because this time it was against the five-year-old girl, whose father mustered courage to voice against it only after he found himself unable to meet the demands of community heads.

The villagers take the punishment as effective measure of protection and conservation of nature, wildlife and creatures.

“I was also in my childhood punished for one day as an outcast for having accidentally destroyed egg of sandpiper (Tithari) bird by community heads of our village,” wildlife lover and environmentalist Vittal Sanadhya said. “The punishment is meant to teach a lesson on protection and conservation of nature and wildlife and to practice for the penance and purification from the ills likely to be caused by the sin of killing wildlife or damaging natural resources,” he added. Sanadhya however, admitted lashing such punishment over a five-year-old girl is totally unfair and unjustified.

“Such kind of punishment by community heads on causing harm or killing birds, damaging natural resources is a social custom practiced almost by all the communities in rural area,” said Sarpanch of Satur panchyat Mangilal Meghwansi, under whose jurisdiction Haripura village falls where the five-year-old girl was subjected to community heads’ diktat.

“In Nai or Sen community, one who kills or harms birds or squirrels is subjected to the same punishment. One who kills a squirrel or bird is branded outcast for certain period of time and he is not allowed to interact or touch the others in the village,” said Mamta Bai Sen. “Moreover, the villagers avoid shaving or trimming hair during the punishment period and the day when the punishment period concludes all the village males take the person who underwent punishment to the village temple where he offers charity, performs Puja and is declared purified and sin free,” she further said.