Imagine your children being forced to stretch out their arms and a vehicle running over them. But this was no nightmare of a concentration camp.

It was cruelty that passed for daredevilry at a government school in Tamil Nadu. And justification by the man responsible for the stunt.

"I took all precautions. So far no one has even got a scratch. It builds self confidence in students," said K S Kirubakaran, Karate Instructor.

"In the beginning it was tough, then we got accustomed to it," said one of the students.

Across the State, there's shock and anger over the dangerous feat to mark the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister Kamaraj.

"Very disturbing. What if children start doing this on the roads? Saying we can put our hands under any passing vehicle?" said Y G Madhuvanthi, parent and correspondent - YGP School.

"It's becoming a fad for karate trainers to show bravado by subjecting children to such dangerous acts," put forth Shihan Hussaini, Karate Instructor.

Unlike our cities, Parent Teacher Associations in rural schools here are political bodies. It approved the dangerous stunt because a Minister's wife was the Chief Guest.

Mercifully, it was she who objected, calling it a 'mad stunt' and had it stopped.

"I have instructed all our schools to desist from such dangerous activities in future," said Thangam Thennarasu, School Education Minister - Tamil Nadu.

The saving grace is that all the students escaped fractures or other injuries.