NEW DELHI: The guardian of a five-year-old Indian boy who runs 50 kilometres a day denies media accusations he was flogging him for personal gain.
Biranchi Das said on Wednesday he was more worried about the health of his pupil, Budhia Singh, and was seeking medical advice to study the phenomenon that has created a stir across India.
“We all know there is something wrong,” Mr Das told reporters a day after the tiny Budhia overcame heat and humidity to run a distance of 65kms in seven hours from Puri to Bhubaneswar, in the eastern state of Orissa.
“I consider myself a sportsman and even I can’t run 10 km at a stretch. That is why I am looking for specialists to conduct tests on Budhia to see why this is happening. I want to consult as many doctors as I can,” he said.
Newspapers on Wednesday splashed pictures of the youngster on their front pages but headlines like “65kms at 5 - isn’t this child abuse?” indicated not everyone was excited by the feat.
“This is pushing the physiological limits,” said paediatrician Anupam Sibal. “A growing body is not meant for so much wear and tear.”
Others said strenuous running at such a young age could damage bones permanently, causing stunting and even deformity.
Human rights activist Suhas Chakma said Budhia’s life was being endangered and urged the National Human Rights Commi-ssion to intervene.
Das said he could not understand what the fuss was all about.
“If Budhia does not run, he won’t know what to do,” Das said.
“All he does is eat, run and sleep. Budhia is edgy if he does not run long distance every day. I make him do it in two sessions, half in the morning and the rest in the evening.”
Mr Das said he discovered Budhia’s amazing talent by chance while conducting a judo class in Bhubaneswar, the state capital of Orissa, two years ago.
“Once, after he had done some mischief, I asked him to keep running till I came back,” said Das. “When I came back after five hours, I was stunned to find him still running.”
Budhia has already taken part in the Delhi half-marathon and other distance races across India but Tuesday’s outing was much longer than the official marathon distance of 42 kilometres.
Mr Das wants to make Budhia an Olympic star - 20 years down the line.
There has been nothing ordinary about Budhia’s life so far.
When his father died two years ago, his mother, a dish washer in Bhubaneswar, was unable to provide for her four children and sold Budhia to a man for 800 rupees. His new father enrolled him in a judo class run by Das.
The Orissa state government says it is keeping a close watch on Budhia and his coach and will step in if anyone misuses the boy.—AFP
