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| A screen grab of Badni Devi Daga, who voluntarily starved to death observing ancient Jain ritual (video below) |
Staff correspondent, September 5, 2015, NewsCrunch
Rajasthan’s Badni Devi Daga, 83, passed away on Saturday morning, after observing Santhara for 50 days.
During this period, the senior citizen from Gangashahar,Bikaner , took only a few sips of water and had become increasingly frail.
A video shot by Quint on the 43rd day of her fast shows that she had stopped speaking by then and was waiting for her death peacefully.
Her family respected her decision and rallied around her in support.
Rajasthan’s Badni Devi Daga, 83, passed away on Saturday morning, after observing Santhara for 50 days.
During this period, the senior citizen from Gangashahar,
A video shot by Quint on the 43rd day of her fast shows that she had stopped speaking by then and was waiting for her death peacefully.
Her family respected her decision and rallied around her in support.
Badni Devi Daga’s death is the first to be reported after a legal controversy broke over the ancient Jain practice of ending life voluntarily through fast.
The Rajasthan High Court had termed it as illegal and ordered the Government to treat it as attempted suicide. The Supreme Court has stayed the High Court's order for the moment as it continues to hear the case.
On an average 240 Jains practice Santhara each year in