Burying children neck-deep in Earth

Disturbing news comes from Gulbarga.

http://www.mypopkorn.com/news/children-buried-neck-deep-during-eclipse-period-in-gulbarga.html

Burying children neck-deep in earth, who are not blessed with legs, hands or so is a practice in Gulbarga.
Muslims in particular do practice this, fearing Solar Eclipse will cure their kids.

TRP-hungry News Channels chased the news and showed the gory images of crying kids amidst ignorance and pain.

It struck to me, Why do learned men/women (read News Anchors/Press Reporters & etc., ) who denigrate such practices, don't chase why people do it?


Parents want their kids to be safe. They are taught these rigours.
If they are made to see the light of day (avoiding few minutes of eclipse :)), they'll stop doing such mind-bending acts.

Who will now inform/advice such parents?
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting ???
Minsitry of Health ??
Ministry for Science & Tech?
GOvt plans to "Ban this practice". Banning is simply banging head to rock, useless.
Bhanamati, Devadasi, ...... the list of banned things are long, only to see them happening again.

Ban a practice, Enfore the Ban (viz., Engage Police), Educate about Ban,...... all wasting of time.

Simpler Option would be:
Identify the people, to whom the parents would listen to.

As this is prevalent with Muslims, Talk to Mullah's, Khaaji's. Sure, there would be sympathetic Moulvi's, who understand enough Science.
They can talk it over in Friday Prayers.Local MLA, Khamarul Islam has justified this.
His reply, typical of a Representative is filled with "CONFORM TO POPULAR OPINION" words.

Surprisingly, we didn't hear sound bytes Local MP or Minister In Charge of District.