Six girls in a parched village of central India were stripped off naked as a part of a ritual to bring rainfall.
Videos of the girls parading naked with a wooden rod on their shoulders which had a frog tied to it at one end went viral on social media.
The incident took place in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh state. The locals of the village believe that the ritual is celebrated to appease the god of rain and summon rainfall.
A report has been sought from the administration of the district by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
The Madhya Pradesh police said that they have not received any complaint against the ritual but they will look into the matter.
Damoh superintendent of police DR Teniwar told the press, “Action will be taken if we find the girls were forced to walk naked,”
The video shows the girls, some of them reported to be as young as five, walking together in a procession, followed by a group of women singing hymns.
The people of the locality support the ritual and believe the superstition to be a sacred ritual and necessary for the summoning of clouds.
Damoh district collector S Krishna Chaitanya said that the parents of the girls had consented to offer their children for the ritual and had even participated in it.
“In such cases, the administration can only make the villagers aware about the futility of such superstition and make them understand that such practices don’t yield desired results,” he added.
Indian population depends largely on agriculture which needs monsoon rains and in many parts of India, different rituals are performed depending upon local customs and traditions. Some communities hold fire rituals- Yagna, others marry frogs or donkeys.
