Are we returning to the Stone Ages?

Are we returning to the Stone Ages or cruising towards 22nd century with a bang as is being made out by some experts?

Some developments in the country suggest the country indeed is cruising towards development and eventually a developed country to be clubbed with the heavyweights like US, UK, Canada, etc. But some other developments are really heart breaking and saddening.

Read this shocking incident that happened at a stone's throw away from Mumbai. This will definitely disappoint the proponents of the development theory. In what can be termed a most dastardly act of human sacrifice, a superspicion-stricken parents have brutally murdered their two young children, for propitiating the evil spirit as the family members thought that they were possessed by the evil spirit and the remedy for getting rid of the evil spirit was humuna sacrifice. And they sacrificed their two kids, five-year old Om and his sister, three-year old Ritika.

It is not that the parents of the ill-fated kids were uneducated. Both the 36-year old Vishal Jaiswal and his 35-year old wife Rita were educated and held corporate jobs. Vishal now runs a mobile phone pre-paid recharge shop.

The spine chilling incident occurred at Nallasopara, near Virar which is considered an extension of Mumbai. Vishal and Rita have been staying at Oswal Nagar in the far northern suburbs for the past two decades. Vishal's father Sachhalal (65), his mother Sumita (60), Vishal's brother Satish (25), his wife Dolly (23), Rita's brother Dinesh (22) and his wife Renu (20) also live with them. The men work as salesmen while Dolly runs tuition classes.

The police version of the story says that Dolly, who claimed to have divine powers, was the brain behind the brutal murders. As she did not get along with Renu, she first convinced the family that Renu had been possessed by a spirit and needed to be cured. The family members subsequently started torturing Renu over the past two months. Three days ago, they branded her arms and feet, besides tonsuring her. But Renu forbade her mother from complaining to the police. She started believing that she had indeed been possessed. Renu is presently hospitalised.

Dolly used to actively participate in pujas and claimed she knew black magic. Around 8.30 pm on Friday, which was Ashtami, the Jaiswals returned home after attending Durga puja at a pandal. It was then that Dolly convinced them that the spirit which had possessed Renu had now travelled from her photograph into the children. She told the family that if its members wanted to prosper in life, the children would have to be "cured" as well.

In a chilling denouement, the two kids were then thrown down on the floor and the rest of the family was instructed to hold down their hands and legs. Dolly then trampled on the children and dug her nails into their stomach. The kids died of violent throttling. When the kids finally stopped moving, Dolly panicked and asked Vishal to take them to a tantrik. She claimed the kids were unconscious. When Vishal failed to find the tantrik at home, he rushed the kids to a physician, who sensed foul play and informed the police.

The rest is history.