57
The girl was murdered in a jungle district of Chhattisgarh. - File Photo
RAIPUR: A seven-year-old Indian girl was murdered in a tribal sacrifice and her liver offered to the gods to improve crop growth, police in the central state of Chhattisgarh said on Sunday.
The body of Lalita Tati was found in October one week after her family reported her missing.
“A seven-year-old girl was sacrificed by two persons superstitiously believing that the act would give a better harvest,” Narayan Das, the police chief of Bijapur district, told AFP by telephone.
The two men was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of killing the girl and offering her liver to the gods in a grisly tribal ceremony. Police said the men had confessed to the crime.
The girl was murdered in a jungle district of Chhattisgarh that is a stronghold of rebel Maoists who have tapped into disaffection among local tribal groups.
Human sacrifices occasionally make headlines in deeply religious and superstitious India, and usually occur in poor areas where some people revere practitioners of black magic.
Two suspected child sacrifices were reported in Chhattisgarh in 2010, while in the same year the decapitated body of a factory worker was found in a temple in the eastern state of West Bengal.
The victims are often ritually killed by witchdoctors to appease gods, spirits or deities.
When people reject the word and the laws of God their Creator, and set up their own 'religion', the result can be seen in this sort of terrible crime.
God says "You shall not murder".
Its an unfortunate incident. I can't believe people are still so backward in their thinking. But I must say to some readers on this website to not blame India or relegion for this. Its a barbaric act by some individuals.
These mind less things happen all over the world in the name of a tribal ritual or honor killing or something else and we should condemn these things, without attributing them to once relegion or country.
This is very sad.
I strongly believe these kinds of superstitions are linked with economic condition of the people involved. only solution to the problem is to provide opportunities in terms education and employment. But unfortunately Indian politicians are only involved in dividing the country in terms of caste and religion just like their Pak counterparts. After seeing the sensible comments in this column I feel proud and believe that we can co exist as good neighbours.
It just turned my stomach.So sad to see seven year old girl lost her life just because of someone's belief.
We are all human beings.It does not matter which religion do you belong,it is our utmost duty to save the children so they can enjoy their life as we did.
It's a shame that in today's age hundred millions of people are living below poverty in India and they are killing innocent children and women for their miseries. Just a few prosperous families, making headlines, can't belie the facts about the whole nation.
I dont belive that human beings can come to animal level in 21st century. Even the animals love their kids and dont eat them.
Funny that Dawn reports a slanderous story that happened in some remote jungle area in India, but does not report the racially motivated murder of Indian student Anuj Bidve who was killed because of his colour right in the city of Manchester by a British KKK. Hypocrisy at its best. Before criticizing India, look at your own house.
BEFORE CRITIZING …..
nobody is critizing , it is reported as it happened. DAWN also reported about KAROBARI if u r regular reader of this Newpaper
http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/30/uk-police-arrest-f…
FYI, Dawn has already reported that news
Looks like no one noticed the line – "The two men was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of killing the girl and offering her liver to the gods in a grisly tribal ceremony. Police said the men had confessed to the crime."
They are arrested and it's a crime. In India the law is not under any religion. Whether your are a Hindu or a Muslim or an Atheist (like me) you have to abide by the law of the land.
Un-Believable, really sad.. This is the desperation of poor people around the world, who are uneducated and completely with help and have no one turn to except these ridiculous beliefs. Our state machinery is failing ,it may be either India or Pakistan these people need advice and help.
is this same Incredible India, we see in BBC and CNN?
Recently an incident like this also happened in Lahore where a newborn infant was buried alive, so we should not glorify or denounce a nation on basis of what brutal, macabre practices are carried out by its denizens we should rather condemn the horrifying act, plaguing our society.
I must admit .. I am amazed by sensible views of everyone in this forum.
May the little girl RIP
This is a sad reminder that the world will never get better!!
It comes from the ancients beliefs and superstitions handed down century after century. Such acts (religious beliefs co-mingled with black magic are responsible for these acts) are seen not only in India or Pakistan but all over the world – unfortunately man has not been able to disentangle himself from these superstitions. The antidote is education and enlightenment.
I am an Iranian and have studied Hinduism. These things regarding human sacrifice stem from some pre-Hinduism beliefs of some people which were taken up by some Tantric cults. On the same note; evidences of human sacrifice have been found in each and every part of the world (including Indus valley civilization to Aztec-Maya-Celtic-Chinese-African-Polynesian-Germanic-Greek civilizations)suggesting that; they were inseparable parts of human social behavior during late stone to early bronze age.
what happened with the girl in chhattishgarh is due to lack of education and trust in God. we must not criticise any religion, government or country for such personal acts of some people. we must respect all religions. we must educate people to stop incidents like this.
Lets not blame India for this, lets look at ourselves, and our so called honor killing, they are disgusting just the same and should be called dishonor killing, after all what honor is there in killing a loved one?
What aout acid throwing, like that done by our Foreign Ministers brothers, Mr Khar threw acid and is scot free from what i know.
These people should be hanged in public squares, but who will make the law? The criminals are the lawmakers in Pakistan.
Thank you for taking us off the topic.
well said
we must protect Childerns every where in the world they need your protection they need our protection
never forget to cover and protect your childs our childs Happy new year to all of you
The true face of India! I wonder what the white man will have to say about this at a time when they are investing in India and busy selling the idea to their public! Stooped in pre-historic religious pratices and rituals!
Evil exists everywhere, instrumental among people who practice superstition, and those (regardless) who distort the original message of Allah, Islam. Islam means Sincerity, Submission, Surrender, the resulting Peace with Allah that can only transcend to peace among people.
Its so disgracing and un HINDU and INDIA. IN A CIVILISED india THIS ACTION IS DISGUSTING. Can India control the action/mind of every INDIAN?
Dear friends, let us not be stereotypical. Good and evil people exist everywhere in the world. No literate Indian will ever approve of this incident. I'll tell you what is irony. It is ironic that we, the people of Pakistan, want everyone in the world to know that Muslims love peace, but at the same time, we leave no stone unturned to judge the Indians! That's ironic. In my opinion, virtue and vice exist in all parts of the world. He who tries to stereotype an entire country is a fool.
Very well said.
Its so encouraging to see the saner elements here .. THE reason a lot of my Indian friends and I read Dawn everyday; appreciating the quality and fairness of both this paper and it's readers.
These are pagan beliefs…does it ever stop wars, natural disasters e.g. famine, floods, earthquakes,tsunamis etc? Has it ever since the creation of mankind? No Never. It's NATURE apart from man-made wars.
It's time to realise this- and stop what is essentially, murdering innocent victims.
These are tribals; they can't differentiate between Paganism and monotheism. For that matter, Socrates, Pluto, Aristotle didn't do too bad despite believing in Paganism. These are are man made social structures that include communism, extremism and a provision for honour killing and stoning to death in certain parts of the world.
Hazrat Umar(R.A),while he was a caliph,was told about a ritual in Egypt which was then recently conquered by Muslims, of sacrificing a young and beautiful girl in Nile,to maintain favorable flow of water.He ordered to stop the cruel custom immediately and sent a letter,in the name of river Nile,stating "if you flow with the pleasure of Allah I order you to maintain your flows,and if not,we dont need your water". History bears witness that Nile never had unfavorable flows,since then.People believing in Superstitious practices,fourteen hundred years after Hazrat Umar(RA),need to learn that Allah does not need human flesh or organs. He is pleased when his creatures beg him directly for their needs, and he rewards the prays. For my Pakistani brotheren we dont need to associate these customs to India or some particular religion. These happen every where. Dont we have people in Pakistan,Muslims, involved in superstitious acts. We need to condemn these things every where. We need to tell people that Allah says,if any one kills a human being ( be it Muslim or non Muslim)unjustly,it amounts to killing the whole humanity.The unjust killing of an innocent girl in Chattish garh is the killing of whole humanity-and so are the other unjust killing wherever they occur.
But here we are talking about India don't we?
@Muhammad Iftikhar Excellent response sir. I adopt it in its entirity
very well said!!
agreed
Totally Agreed. In addition to the above this act shows that education is not being provided properly and people are still living in their own flying castles. Like "Frog inside the Well".
Jazak Allah Mr. Muhammad Iftikhar for informing us about the amazing tradition of Hazart Umar R.A.
Very well said. May Allah guide us all.
It is really a crime against humanity.
Allahu Akbar. Good response in terms of killings based on superstition. I totally agree with you brother. However, it would have been better if you were more specific about what you meant by "other unjust killing wherever they occur." My impression is that you would use the same general terms and not speak out specifically against honor killings of women and the target killings of minorities in Pakistan, nor of the killings of non-muslims where muslims may be allegedly involved such as the events of 9/11. I hope my impression is wrong. May Allah guide me and you on Siraat-e-Mustaqim.
Ugly face of India!!
Killing in any form is bad. Why don't Pakistan do something about non Muslims being killed and those who are relinquishing in jail accused (falsely) of blasphemy? Clean your back yard first before you point fingers at your neighbor. I am not a Pakistani nor an Indian
Sad to read such stories in DAWN. Superstiotions in India have been ovremphasized and blown out. I din't read the "pakistani woman stripped and mass-raped" story in India. Indian media scores here over DAWN. Such stories just defame the image of country involved. Beware and don't stereotype!
No need for anyone to get defensive. It is the duty nad 'farz' of every citizen of every country whether India or Pakistan to site the wrongs and make these ghastly acts as news worth. Unless we make them 'news' they will become accepted by society. So news like this should be reported and discussed regardless of color and creed. Societies that address these issues, such as the current western society, are the ones that move towards equality.
India is the country which shows itself as a welfare state!!!! Booming economy, glamorous media….. Ironic….
Salman Ali Khan,
This is neither sanctioned by religion nor by law. These kind of uncivilized acts based on superstitions happen in all parts of world.
Well sorry to tell u
this but these kinds of uncivilized acts don't happen in Netherlands or other European countries.
hi ron we had seen a very recent killing of 80 people in norway by a franatic . i thought norway is a part or europe. am i right!!!!
Beg to differ ron, celtic druids of europe were one of the oldest sects which carried out extensive human sacrifices.
It has nothing to do with which country or religion a person belongs to. It is do with education which some gentleman has rightly pointed out to.
Lets condemn actions not attach it to countries and religion.
ya sheetal you are right…these acts are based on superstitions people and we cant criticized on any country or religion,
sheetal.. are they sanctioned by common sense?
It is like saying. There is corruption in every country so don't worry what is happening in India. It's the degree of corruption or the rituals. In India everybody who does not declare himself Muslim, Christian, Parsi and Sikh is considered and counted as hindu during concensus. Thus it is basically a Hindu ritual. We can not escape blame for continuing all those myth based stories and natural disaster based 33 crore devi/devtas/gods. I wish I was born in USA!
Dude…i lived in USA..its not the good as you thinks..highest rate of divorce, its very sad to children are confused about their parents,mental disorder,video game,obesity and overweight..and things are continuing..
Salman,
Superstitions exist in the most developed and the least developed nations. I'm sure it does in yours too.
At least in India – no one will defend this ghastly act in the media or in the Parliament in the name of tradition !
you are right sheetal. even killing is not sanctioned by Quran. But we keep doing it every day. My 12 year old son says, Dad why only Muslims are invovled in all these activities. What do I tell him.
dude wat about sialkot brothers murder?? lets not play blame game. This is all due to lack of awareness…also even if unjustly, one should not kill other being. Then wats the purpose of having laws, courts? lets not play vendatta game. India, pakistan, bangladesh and whole south asia is slowly progressing. These things will be of past twenty years from now if people like u and us can open our mind.