A three-year-old boy, dressed as Lord Krishna, spent more than two hours in the sun, tied on a slanting green leaf-shaped board on a tableau in Kerala's Kannur district during a procession on Krishna Jayanthi.
A photograph of the child, circulated on social media, has evoked anger and the state's child rights panel has sought a detailed report from the district administration of Kannur.
Witnesses said that the child was visibly in a state of discomfort and pain during the procession.
Payannur resident Sreekanth Usha Prabhakaran, posted a photograph of the child on Facebook and that's how the incident came to light. "Initially, I thought it was a statue tied to the structure. And then I saw the hands and legs move. The waist of the child seemed tied up to the leaf. The visual of the child lying down like this, with his head resting on a side to avoid sunlight reminded me of crucified Jesus," he wrote in her post.
The post further said, “I then called up the Childline, but the response was cold. The person who picked up the phone asked me whether the child or his parents have any complaint. After some time, the call was transferred to Kannur Childline and I was able to talk to the woman who is in charge of Payannur. When I asked her to visit the spot, she said that it was not their duty, but what they do is only informing the authorities concerned.”
Media reports state that no police complaint was filed in this regard and that the child is safe.