Odhisa: Superstitions in most cases are native beliefs, a set of taboos in a society to guide and hold them together. But sometimes these very same superstitions turn out to be extremely dangerous and harmful. In one such case, a 27 day old baby girl from Kangra village, Tentulikhunti block was branded with a hot iron in what was supposed to be a “cure” for her stomach ailments.
The daughter of Santoshi Bag and Arun Bag was the victim of this torturous treatment, the matter came to light when the parents admitted the baby in a critical condition to the district headquarters hospital on Thursday.
This is not the first time a case like this has come into notice, nearly 30 such cases had been reported from Nabarangpur and the adjoining Malkangiri district this year. Many children lose their lives and die due to these superstitious practices.
The practice of branding children with a hot iron and bangles to cure ailments is rampant in remote areas of Nabarangpur district. The police have launched a manhunt to arrest the disari, faith leader, who was involved in this particular incident.
Some disaris have been arrested for treating children in such a brutal manner. The administration has also undertaken awareness campaigns but the branding of children continues in Nabarangpur and people fall into such superstitious practices from time to time to avoid going to hospitals or to find an easier way to cure diseases.
