In a rather problematic incident, a procession in Bihar made headlines after videos showed women dancing in what appeared to be a massive cage atop a vehicle. A large group of individuals can be seen standing on the road outside the cage, egging on the dancers. Since being shared, the clip has gone somewhat viral online.
While it is unclear from the video as to when and where this was taken, journalist Neeraj Priyadarshi offered further details. According to details shared on Twitter, this was part of a wedding procession in Bihar's Koilwar, some 40 kilometers away from Patna. Reportedly, the dancers in question had been hired from Muzaffarpur for a nominal sum of money.
The video shows a group of individuals - all without masks - crammed together to get a view of the dancers. While the group seems to comprise only men, we did spot a baby on someone's shoulder.
It is unclear whether any action has been taken based on the video. The clip has provoked a series of outraged responses online, with many criticising the "shameful" and "degrading" situation. Others however lamented that this was unfortunately not an isolated incident.
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing unabated in India, Bihar is presently under a lockdown. Earlier in May, the Nitish Kumar-led administration had extended the state lockdown till June 8. It is however unclear whether this will continue. Reports indicate that a final decision on a fifth extension of the COVID-19 induced curbs will soon be taken.
On Tuesday morning, India reported less than one lakh new COVID-19 cases for the first time in 63 days. With 86,498 new cases reported in the last 24 hours; the daily COVID cases are also the lowest in 66 days. The COVID case tally in India has now reached 2,89,96,473, with a little more than 13 lakh active cases.
(With inputs from agencies)