Parents send 11-month-old baby on para-sailing alone

KOZHIKODE: The parents of an 11-month-old baby have triggered a controversy by putting her on solo para-sailing at Muzhupilangad beach on Wednesday. The event was organised by Kozhikode-based Malabar Aero Sports Society (MASA), owned by the grandfather of the baby Niya Nizam, and she was flown obviously to get publicity, disregarding her terrified cry.

Though the act is punishable under section 23 of the Juvenile Justice Act, police did little to stop the event. The family, who claims to be traditional para-sailors, has blamed the media for creating sensation out of nothing.

Kannur SP, P.N. Unniraja, who was present at the venue, said that he refused to flag off the event when he came to know that the parents were flying their baby.

“We were told that the mother would be doing the first flight. But later the organisers told us that the baby would fly solo with the consent of the parents and I refused to flag off the event. The district police had ordered the organisers that children below 18 should not be allowed to fly at the event,” Mr Unniraja said.

Shafar Ahamed, grandfather of the baby said, “I have been a para-sailor for over 30 years and the baby’s mother had done para-sailing at the age of 8. We have been training the baby for the last one month. The controversy is unwarranted.”