Infant branded with 'hot iron' to treat pneumonia in MP; probe ordered
Shahdol (PTI): A one-and-a-half-month-old boy suffering from pneumonia was branded with a hot iron rod more than 40 times by a local nurse to treat the illness at a village in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district, officials said on Tuesday.
When the child's condition deteriorated earlier this month, he was taken to a hospital where the matter came to light. More than 40 scars were found on the child's neck, stomach and other body parts, they said.
The boy is now being treated at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Shahdol and a probe has been ordered into the matter, the officials said.
The baby's family, resident of Hardi village, had approached a "daai" (village nurse) who allegedly poked the child's body with a hot iron rod more than 40 times in a bid to treat pneumonia on November 4, they said.
The baby's grandmother got the hot iron treatment done at her home from a "daai", Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr RS Pandey said.
When the baby's condition deteriorated, he was taken to the district hospital, from where he was referred to the medical college for treatment, he said.
A team of health officials has been constituted to conduct a probe into the matter, he added.
Dr Nishant Prabhakar, head of the paediatrics department at the medical college, said the baby was branded with a hot iron rod at the time of birth and again when he suffered from pneumonia.
More than 40 scars of branding were found on the child's neck, stomach, back and other body parts, he said.
The boy is doing fine now following treatment at the government hospital, Prabhakar said.
It has been a common practice to brand children with iron rods to treat their illnesses in tribal-dominated areas of the district.
In February this year, the body of a two-and-a-half-month-old girl was exhumed in Shahdol district for an investigation following her death after allegedly being branded with a hot iron rod more than 50 times to treat pneumonia.
In the same month, another case came to light where a three-month-old girl was branded with a hot iron rod in the district.
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People must do politics; elected representatives must work, says Actor Prakash Raj
Kalaburagi: Actor and activist Prakash Raj has said that in a democracy, politics must be done by the people, while elected representatives are meant to work and serve after winning elections.
Speaking at the launch of Vartha Bharati's Kalyana Karnataka edition in Kalaburagi on Saturday, Prakash Raj said that once representatives are elected, their only responsibility is service. “This is our tax, our country. Service is the only job of people’s representatives. They come to seek votes every five years; the people do not,” he said.
Releasing the newspaper’s special issue at the event, he asserted that the distinction between people and politicians must never be reversed. “This is our country. Citizens must continuously engage in politics, and politicians must continuously work. Never change this order. Politics belongs to the people,” he said.
ALSO READ: Kalaburagi: ‘Vartha Bharati’ Kalyana Karnataka edition launched
Quoting writer P. Lankesh, Prakash Raj said newspapers, media, artists, and citizens must act as a permanent opposition. “They must be the voice of the people without seeking the patronage of the ruling party. Only then can they work fearlessly,” he said. He stressed the need to clearly tell today’s society who must engage in politics.
Referring to regional imbalance, he said Karnataka has become Bengaluru-centric and confined largely to southern Karnataka. With Vartha Bharati entering the Kalyana Karnataka region, he said the newspaper must contribute to the region’s development by consistently reporting its issues with a strong voice.
Prakash Raj also spoke about the role of independent media, saying that anyone can be swept away in a flood, including dead fish, but to swim against the current requires life. “Independent media have that life. Ravish Kumar, The Wire, and Vartha Bharati have the courage to swim against the flood,” he said.
He warned that fear strengthens authoritarianism. “If we are not afraid, they will be afraid,” he said, alleging that institutions such as the police, Election Commission, courts, and media are being pressured, silenced, and manipulated for political benefit. Expressing concern over the denial of bail to Umar Khalid, he said there is a visible lack of conscience in institutions meant to deliver justice to the people.
Recalling the early years after Independence, Prakash Raj said there was once fear of the police but also faith in the judiciary. “There was confidence that injustice would be addressed in court. Today, that faith no longer exists,” he said. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party are responsible for the present situation.
Using a metaphor, he said India is like a pond disturbed by a demon within it. “A lotus blooms on the surface, that is the BJP. We are fighting the lotus, but the real fight should be against the RSS, the root power beneath,” he said.
Drawing parallels with past global authoritarian regimes, he said leaders like Hitler and Mussolini headed political parties and could be defeated electorally. “The RSS is not a political party. Defeating the BJP alone is not enough. The roots must be uprooted,” he said, adding that despite changes in appearance, the ideological growth remains unchanged.
Prakash Raj also raised concerns over Hindi imposition, delimitation, and what he described as political oppression of southern states such as Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh in the name of elections. He said people must recognise who is responsible for this oppression and understand the role of newspapers like Vartha Bharati in identifying and exposing it.
The event also marked the formal launch of Vartha Bharati's Kalyana Karnataka edition in Kalaburagi.
