Let's talk about the most disturbing aspect of the viral video of exorcism: the children

The most disturbing portion of the video is the use of a child to perform the rite and several other children in the audience witnessing it as well.
Let's talk about the most disturbing aspect of the viral video of exorcism: the children
Let's talk about the most disturbing aspect of the viral video of exorcism: the children
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A woman in a purple sari stands with her back to a packed auditorium. She is hysterical. Facing her is a girl, who looks no more than five years old. 

"In the name of Jesus, break," the girl commands, as a man holds a mike to her, often prompting the dialogues to her. 

"Shut your mouth," the woman growls at the girl. 

The conversation takes place in Tamil and the video runs for close to one-and-a-half minutes. The entire incident is being videographed by more than one person. 

The origin of the video, the time it was shot and whether or not the incident took place in Tamil Nadu is not clear. 

Earlier this month, this video of what appears to be an exorcism being performed on a 'possessed' woman was uploaded on Facebook. 

Needless to say, it went viral. 

While videos of "real life" exorcisms can be found aplenty on the web, the conversation around this video too understandably is centred around religion. But perhaps what is the most disturbing portion of the video is the use of a child to perform the rite and several other children in the audience witnessing it as well.

Gauging the girl's reaction is a bit tricky, because she seems expressionless most of the time as she parrots what she is being asked to say and stares into the eyes of the woman.  

The News Minute spoke to child rights activists and asked them whether it is was illegal to involve a child in such a disturbing activity apart from it being morally incorrect or not. 

Responding to the video, Nina Nayak, a former member of the National Commission for Protection of Child’s Rights (NCPCR), said that it is in violation of the child's rights. 

"The child obviously must be going through trauma. We don't know what kind of pressure was put on the child and the long-term effects that such an experience would have on the child," she says. 

"It could be more serious, if there is any monetary benefit which was kept in mind while involving the child in it," she adds. 

The Centre for Child and the Law (CCL), a part of National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bangalore, said that the video violates guidelines issued by NCPCR to safeguard the interests of children and regulate their participation in TV Serials, Reality Shows and Advertisements. 

In an email to TNM, CCL said, "The video shared in social media completely violates the above guidelines issued by the commission. The child in the video seems to be no less than 5 years old and is made to put in a situation which is not only traumatising to children but to adults as well. As per the guidelines, if any production house is found violating the above norms, the same will have to be monitored by the concerned Child Welfare Committee."

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