More news about India

[Jaap Pranger]

1998-04-21 17:08  Dominik Wujastyk, ucgadkw at UCL.AC.UK wrote:

>There was a feature article in the Sunday Times of London a few months
>back about child sacrifice in contemporary India.  It was linked to
>"tantric" rites.  Can't recall the ref., I'm afraid.


 Here's an article from the Sunday Tribune of India of a few months
 back.

 Jaap Pranger



   ------------------------
   The Sunday Tribune, November 16, 1997

   Tantrik father unrepentant

   From K.G.Dutt
   Tribune News Service

   JIND, Nov 15 _ The brutal human sacrifice of
   seven-year-old Shambu has sent shock waves in
   Jambewa village and adjoining areas. People are
   aghast at the gory episode. Reports gathered by
   this correspondent indicate that it is the first
   incident of its kind in the area.

   According to sources, Bholu Ram, alias Dharam
   Vir, killed his son at about 4 a.m. on November 12
   morning. Bholu Ram, a devotee of goddess Kali,
   has been proclaiming himself as a sorcerer with
   divine powers. It is learnt that he has been
   indulging in sorcery for the past about seven
   years.

   An unemployed middle-aged man, he belongs to
   the Dhanik caste. A section of people interviewed
   by this correspondent on the telephone maintained
   that of late Bholu Ram had been claiming that the
   goddess Kali had bestowed divine powers on him.
   He claimed he was in a position to revive a dead man.

   In the early hours of "Tridoshi" day, the day on
   which the worship Lord Shiva and goddess Kali is
   considered auspicious. The wife of Bholu Ram left
   for the fields. Finding himself alone, Bholu Ram
   woke up Shambu while he was asleep with his
   three-year-old brother. The sorcerer slit the neck
   of his innocent son with a knife, hoping that he
   would be able to revive him. After the ghastly crime,
   he reportedly left the house and went to the fields.
   When his wife returned she saw Shambu in a
   pool of blood.

   When Bholu Ram returned from the fields, he admitted
   that he had sacrificed his son to please the goddess Kali.
   He insisted that he would revive his son back to life as
   he had been blessed with divine powers.

   Bholu Ram made vain efforts to revive his son by
   chanting certain mantras. He appeared without any
   remorse even after he failed to revive his son. He did
   not hesitate to admit his crime.

   Within hours, the news of the human sacrifice spread in
   the village. Amar Singh, younger brother of Bholu Ram,
   lodged a FIR at Jambewa village under the Piloo Khera
   police station. The police arrested Bholu Ram on the same
   day. He has been charged under Section 302, IPC.

   The mother of Shambu and his younger brother are
   reported to be in a state of shock over the incident. But
   Bholu Ram had so far been unrepentant as he maintains
   that he has done the act to "appease the goddess Kali".

    -------------------------