Ritual Abuse against Children: The Pain of the Voiceless

To any country children are the most valuable resource and best hope for the future, especially in countries like India Girl child plays a vital role. Each and every child is an uncut diamond with its preciousness contained within itself. Not all the carbons are transformed into diamonds and not all the diamonds are shaped to the level of perfection such a way the birth and brought up of the children were decided by their society in which the children born. Religion plays a vital role in any brought up of a child so as the religion makes a big impact in the children’s life. Many religious customs and practices abuse the children physically, sexually and psychologically. Children were being abused and harassed in the name of religion blanketed by good faith, children were being forced or enticed to involve in many religious rituals which gives them immense injuries and pain. Not all the religions and customs imposes grave and hurting procedures in conduct of its rituals. Many of the rituals followed in the religion of Hinduism contains back braking and hurting procedures which sometimes leads to death also. Being in a secularist country and matter of religion as a personal business, one cannot question others faith when they tolerate and enjoy the pain but the same cannot be justified when it comes to the issue of children involving in such activities. Children were deemed and codified to be not eligible to take any decisions, till they attend their age of majority as per the pertaining laws thus one cannot say that the child is intended to do such activities in the name of religious good faith. In this paper I have made an attempt to bring in to lime light the various abuse been imposed on the children by their family members and others in the name of religion, rituals and good faith, especially in Hinduism and how far it violates major laws of India and the need of the legislation to address it.