A 13 year old girl from the Jain community of Hyderabad died after observing a 68 day fast. Aradhana observed the ‘Chaturmas’ fast to bring good luck to her family, as her father, Laxmichand Sansadiya, incurred a huge loss in his jewellery business.
A Chennai-based priest had advised the girl’s parents to ask their daughter to observe the ‘Chaturmas’ fast in order to recover from the loss in business and earn huge profits. Aradhana’s 10-week long fast ended on the 3rd of October and it was celebrated as a huge event at their house called ‘Paarana’. The event was also attended by Padma Rao, a Telangana minister from Secunderabad area.
She was later rushed to the hospital because of dehydration. The girl had slipped into a come because of prolonged starvation. The doctors said that her intestines had dried up and both her kidneys were also severely damaged because of the fast. She suffered a cardiac arrest and succumbed to it.
At least 600 people attended Aradhana’s funeral hailing her as a ‘bal tapasvi‘. The funeral procession was called a ‘Shobha yatra’ – a mark of celebration. “It has been a practice for people to undertake severe penance when 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. ”This is suicide if not murder,” she added.
A complaint has been lodged by the Child Rights’ Association, seeking immediate action against Aradhana’s parents.
