A child seen in a viral video pleading with an officer from inside a bus to trace his father during the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage in Kerala was immediately reunited with his parent, police said.
Some cropped versions of the video showed the boy crying and asking the officer with folded hands to locate his father, leading many to wonder if the child was reunited with his parent. The full version of the video shows his father coming to the bus immediately and the child even waving his hand to bid goodbye.
“Yes, the child in the viral video was reunited with his father. The video was cropped by some sections to hide the truth,” a police officer at the Sannidhanam police station said. “We do not have cases registered of children missing in Sabarimala because each of them is given armbands with RFID tags that have the contact numbers of their parents or accompanying guardians. They are fitted with these bands before they go up the [Sabarimala] hill so it is easy to locate their parents if they go missing.”
Complaints of shortage of amenities and mismanagement of queues have marred the Mandalam pilgrimage to Sabarimala. The pilgrimage, which began on November 17, is set to conclude on December 27. The Makaravilakku festival will be celebrated on January 16.
{{/usCountry}}Complaints of shortage of amenities and mismanagement of queues have marred the Mandalam pilgrimage to Sabarimala. The pilgrimage, which began on November 17, is set to conclude on December 27. The Makaravilakku festival will be celebrated on January 16.
{{/usCountry}}The chief minister’s office said on Tuesday that the daily footfall rose from 62000 to 88000 and more arrangements were being made to ensure faster movement of queues. Spot bookings are being controlled in a limited manner and the darshan time has been extended by an hour.