Kerala: Recommendation to regulate religious practices hurting children remains on paper

Thiruvananthapuram: The fresh instance of a two-month-old boy dying during a circumcision procedure in Kerala has once again brought to focus the need to regulate religious practices involving children in various religions by law.

Even as the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights had recommended to the state government to regulate by law religious practices that cause hurt to children, the state government is yet to act.

Rather, the CPI(M) government has recently informed the Kerala High Court that the state cabinet took a policy decision not to enact a law to ban black magic, sorcery, and other inhuman practices.

The commission chairperson K V Manoj Kumar said that a report would be sought on the incident at Kakkoor in Kozhikode where a two-month-old child died reportedly after suffering discomfort after being administered anesthesia for circumcision.

"Religious practices involving children are still prevalent in many religions. Though the commission recommended to the government earlier to regulate those by law, it was yet to materialise," he said.

Earlier in 2018, Kerala's first woman IPS officer R Sreelekha had strongly flayed the 'kuthiyottam' ritual of the famed Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, as it involved piercing a tiny hook on the body of minor boys who take part in the annual ritual. Though it triggered a lot of discussion, no action was taken.

Increasing trend of circumcision soon after birth in Kerala

Meanwhile, those associated with Islamic religious matters said that circumcision at very young age is becoming quite common in Kerala.

Earlier, circumcision soon after birth was common only in parts of north Kerala, whereas now it is becoming common across the state.

"While religious circumcision was earlier performed by a section within the Muslim community, now most parents prefer to do it at hospital. Also modern techniques like laser circumcision are also emerging now," said the leader of a jamaath committee.

A doctor at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram said that many parents are now preferring to conduct the religious circumcision of their child in the second week of birth. It generally does not involve much medical complications, said the doctor who preferred not to be named.

He also said that apart from religious circumcision, children and even adults undergo circumcision as treatment for health issues like phimosis.