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Coach of child marathon prodigy threatens to quit Orissa

     Bhubaneshwar: Caught in a web of controversy and charged with child exploitation, the coach-cum-caretaker of three-and-a-half year-old child marathoner, Buddhia Singh, has threatened to quit Orissa, his home state. Upset over the allegations, Birachi Das has said that he is seriously considering the option of moving to some other place along with Buddhia if the pressure from government agencies continues. "I want to make him the number one marathon runner of the world. If there is any problem in Orissa, I will leave the state. I have offers from four or five other states that are eager to accept Buddhia. I will train him there and make him famous. I am not concerned about Orissa, I am more concerned about making him world famous. It is only after he achieves something, that the common people will realize we were right," Das said. On Wednesday, the officials of Orissas Child Welfare Department had filed a complaint, alleging that constant running could cause severe health complications and even death to the child. Organizers of a local marathon, stopped Buddhia on Thursday after a police complaint was filed against Das, saying he was being exploited.

     Meanwhile, the Government of Orissa has decided that experts should determine the running capability Buddiah. A panel of experts is being set up to conduct a health check-up of Buddhia, and they will determine to what extent the boy can run every day, said Pramilla Mallick, Orissa's Minister for Women and Child Development. Mallick said that orders have been issued to District Collectors and Superintendents of Police not to allow the boy to run in their respective areas for the time being. Mallick said that a panel comprising specialists in paediatrics, cardiology and orthopaedics would be constituted by the Khurda district Child Welfare Committee within a day or two. Buddhia, who surprisingly does not feel pain or exhaustion, says running is something that comes naturally. Apparently unaware of the whole controversy surrounding his marathons, Buddhia said he was looking forward to running. "I want to run but I don't know why these people are stopping me. I can run whatever distance you tell me to run. I can easily cover this distance also", says Buddhia Buddhia Singh, the impish boy wonder from Bhubaneshwar, who belongs to a family of beggars, claims to average marathons of 48 kilometers-per-day. He is for bigger targets in the coming months.

     As an infant Buddhia was sold by his poor widowed mother for a paltry 18 dollars, after failing to afford two square meals for her three other children. The child was brought back and found a surrogate parent in the member-secretary of a local judo association. Birachi Das brought Buddhia to his office to raise him as his own child. But the little brat often created a ruckus around the office premises for which he was duly reprimanded. It was during one such "punishment" where Das told Buddhia to continue running, that his talent was accidentally discovered. Buddhia ran for four hours that day, and has since, virtually, not stopped running. The child is reported to be on a special diet that consists of a mixture of a variety of pulses, milk and bananas. Das has also commissioned special additions of jaggery and "desi ghee" (or, clarified butter) for his little champion. Buddhia's day starts early with a five-hour practice session, which is followed by a massage by Das. It is followed by training. And this has worried the Government authorities who say it could take its toll on the toddler.