Murga punishment
Murga (also spelled murgha) is a stress position used as a punishment in parts of South Asia, (such as Northern India Bangladesh and sometimes in Pakistan). It is used primarily in educational institutions.[1] Occasionally, it is also used by the police who use it as a punishment for petty crimes and eve teasing (sexual harassment), usually administered in public-view.[2][3][4][5]
The word murga means rooster in Hindi. In this punishment, the punished person takes the position where he is made to look like a rooster. This is done by squatting, and then looping the arms behind the knees and firmly holding the ears.[6][7] It can become very painful after a few minutes. Over the years, corporal punishment has been banned in schools in Pakistan and although caning is still frequent, the Murga punishment is now rarely, if ever, used.
Although Murga Punishment is usually applied on boys, but some times it is also used for girls. One of the famous Pakistani singer Annie Khalid claimed, that she was given this punishment from her husband while she was tortured. In one state of Indian Punjab, a girls' school principal was suspended when someone from the school leaked out pictures of girls punished with Murga on school grounds. The students also claimed that this sort of punishment was often practiced by the principal on the girls. In 2013, a student in Alwar died after being forced to contort her body as part of the 'murga' position.[8]
Murga also be used as a position for spanking, though it is rarely used. The position is also used as a form of mental bondage in BDSM practices.
Variants
There are many variants of the Murga punishment. Some of them are:
Standing Murga
In the standing Murga, the person is required to position the buttocks as high as possible. The person is caned severely if buttocks are lowered. It is the most severe form of murga.
Sitting Murga
In sitting Murga, the person is allowed to rest on his arms.
Murga parade
In Murga parade, the person has to walk while in the standing or sitting Murga position. A longer distance can be covered in the standing Murga position, but it is extremely tiring for legs, hands and back. This punishment can be made harsher by making the person parade under the sun. If done properly, it will hurt the ears also, because of irregular movements.
Swaying Murga
In this kind of punishment, the person is asked to move his buttocks from the higher position (as in Standing Murga) to lower (as in Sitting Murga) and vice-versa every 5–6 seconds.This is a very severe form; the legs start trembling after about 40 sways and becomes unbearable after 70-75 sways.
Heels touching Murga
In this the heels of the person should remain in contact. It can also be either sitting or standing. This is a very severe form of Murga.
Murga Riding
In this punishment, the person is made to carry another person on his back.It is usually given by sex partners and is a BDSM practice.
References
- ↑ Khan, Muqaddam (22 January 2004). "Crippling minds". The Dawn.
- ↑ "Pak police reins in eve-teasers with 'Murgha' punishment". Daily Excelsior. 10 October 2007.
- ↑ "Pak police reins in eve-teasers with 'Murga' punishment". Indopia.
- ↑ Srivastava, Arunima (June 29, 2006). "Public prosecution: Crime and instant punishment!". The Times of India.
- ↑ "Sensitive treatment needed in youth cases". Indian Express. 28 August 2002.
- ↑ Sanchita Islam (14 June 2011). Gungi Blues. Chipmunkapublishing ltd. p. 127. ISBN 978-1-84747-259-5. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
- ↑ Madan Mohan Jha (1 September 2010). From Special To Inclusive Education In India: Case Studies Of Three Schools In Delhi. Pearson Education India. p. 51. ISBN 978-81-317-3217-5. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
- ↑ Student dies after teacher forces her to contort body, By Rajendra Sharma, TNN | Mar 20, 2013, 06.40 AM IST