The Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed a PIL seeking a ban on participation of minors in dahi handis,a popular way of celebrating Janmashtami in Maharashtra. A city-based NGO,Support India Foundation,had filed a PIL in court seeking the ban. The Foundation,using RTI,found that children suffered injuries while participating in the celebrations where they climb on a human pyramid to break the dahi handi. According to them,during the last five years,nearly 100 children injured in the celebrations were admitted to various city hospitals. The court observed that formation of a human pyramid is a regular sport and minors cannot be prohibited from participating in them. The court said that even gymnasts are trained at a tender age so that they become professionals by the age of 14 or 15. The court,however,added that the government may consider petitioners suggestion to make the participation safer and may frame guidelines for the same.
