In a shocking incident, a Congress leader in Sangli (Maharashtra) hosted a human cart race where children as young as eight years pulled carts.
In a shocking incident that took place at a time when the courts and government have banned bullock cart races upholding it as cruelty to animals, a Congress leader in Sangli hosted a human cart race where children as young as eight years pulled carts.
Sangli district is home to not only home minister RR Patil, but also to several political heavyweights and ministers such as rural development minister Jayant Patil, forests minister Patangrao Kadam and former Union minister Pratik Patil.
The human cart race in Bedag village in Miraj taluka in Sangli — a hometown of the home minister RR Patil — was arranged to celebrate the birthday of Congress taluka president Amarsinh Patil. Local panchayat samiti member, Dilip Burse was the organiser. Incidentally, chief minister Prithiviraj Chavan’s in-laws are also from Bedag village.
At least 50 carts, each of them pulled by two children, participated in the human cart race while some 100 villagers cheered. At least 15 children participating in the race, pulling the cart, were in the age group of 8 to 13. The track was 200 metres long.
The winners were given prizes of amounts between Rs5,000 and Rs3,000.
Patil said the human cart racing was arranged to preserve the tradition and entertainment of bullock cart race alive.
The Bombay high court, in March, imposed a ban on the bullock cart races. In August 2011, the state government banned the races. However, a month later it came out with a corrigendum allowing non-castrated bulls in the races. The HC, in March, asked the state to quash the corrigendum making distinction between castrated and non-castrated bulls.
“After the ban on the bullock cart race, we decided to have a human race. But the admission of the children was not intentional,” Patil said.
“The race was actually meant for adults, but some children participated in it enthusiastically. The matter has been blown out of proportion through political vengeance,” a villager claimed.
Former MLC and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Nitin Shinde has criticised the race and has called for police action against the organisers. Social activist Suresh Dagade said such types of races are harmful to the health of children.
Meanwhile, minister of child and women welfare, Varsha Gaikwad has ordered an inquiry into the matter.
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