Friday, May 2, 2008

Baby throwing in India

As a midwife I do not think I agree with this custom of throwing babies off a tower in Solapur in India. Apparently it is supposed to bring good luck.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYzCcxF2IzE


11 comments:

efreeman said...

Oooh yes! I was horrified when I saw this on the news last night. In response to the day 2 comment challenge I am commenting on your blog! Nice to support a fellow kiwi (and South Islander!).

Sarah Stewart said...

Great to hear from you, efreeman. How are you finding the comment challenge so far?

efreeman said...

It is a good thing for me. It is broadening my experience and forcing me to change role from an observer to a participant. I love 'cocomment' already!
Erin

Anonymous said...

oh dear....I really don't like seeing big people doing things like that to little people - who have no voice in it...whatever rationale accompanies it.

Sarah Stewart said...

I don't like it all for some reason-I don't know why. I use co.mment. But it is so much easier using a tracking tool, which ever that is.

Sarah Stewart said...

The baby throwing is supposed to bring the baby good health, anonymous. It was on NZ news last night and made me feel quite ill watching it. I wonder how long the custom has been going on for?

What was interesting was although the babies were thrown off a Moslem building, people of a number of religions took part so it appears to be a cultural thing rather than a religious custom.

Anonymous said...

yeah the thing to remember about cultural things and customs is they are not necessarily good just because they are part of a culture or termed a custom - we should always question.
"The trick of culture is making that which is man made and therefore subject to change appear natural and therefore impossible to change" (forget who said that - but it is a reminder to us to query culture and custom - which is always an expression of those who hold dominance in any culture - predominantly - men.

Anonymous said...

religion is just culture and custom I think

Sarah Stewart said...

Your comment, anonymous, made me think of female genital mutilation. A cultural custom but a bad one none the less. It is widely supported by women. How is that?

Anonymous said...

actually there is a huge movement of women who do not support this at all and are working tirelessly to change this custom - and asking the same questions i have asked above. i think my statement above answers your question already. Culture and custom are often used as mechanisms for power and control and oppression.

Anonymous said...

I would say the same for male circumcision too. I don't see it as any less horrific than FGM