Community leaders decry Jain girl's death

KOCHI: Days after 13-year-old Aradhana died in Hyderabad after observing a traditional fast for 68 days, community leaders in the city termed it an unfortunate event.
They said that her parents should have intervened and stopped the ritual when she showed symptoms of weakness.
Aradhana's death has sparked an uproar across the country and the police have begun a detailed investigation.
"If one wants to observe a fast, it should be conducted under the supervision of elders and doctors, who can check the condition of the devotee every day. Our religion says that one should stop fasting if his or her body loses strength," said Mukesh Jain, chairman of the Jain Foundation in Mattancherry.
Kochi, which is home to 250 Jain families, had witnessed such rituals, where devotees had observed fast for a month. Jain recalled an incident how they had dissuaded a young man who had volunteered to fast for 30 days.
"After 15 days, he lost his strength,'' he said.
Hiran Uthin Loday (23), who had observed a fast for 30 days last year in Mattancherry, concurred with Mukesh Jain.
"If one has the willpower and physical strength, then fasting is not a problem. But when your energy drops to dangerous levels, you should give it up. Also, the person who has completed such a tedious fast should follow a strict diet for two weeks. If one fails to follow this, the digestive system will react. It is also important that during fasting, devotee drinks only warm water and that too during day," she said.