The babies branded with hot bangles

Four infants between birth and four months died across a month in Madhya Pradesh’s eastern districts of Shahdol, Umaria, and Anuppur after they were branded with hot bangles and iron sickles when they fell sick. Mehul Malpani explores the belief system behind the tribal practice that is considered a remedy, to everything from breast-feeding difficulties to pneumonia. Written by Mehul Malpani and narrated by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian. Read the latest Ground Zero articles here. For unlimited access to the premium content, visit www.thehindu.com/subscription.