January 12, 2009

The slaughter of the unborn spring


Prabha is 7 months pregnant. Her husband, Ramu is a worker in some factory she is not aware of. They live at the outskirts of Delhi – UP border. The monthly income varies from Rs 350 – 500. It is enough to give them their daily bread. The news of Prabha’s pregnancy was a source of joy as well as dismay for Ramu. He was happy that his son would carry on his legacy...but would he be able to feed him and give him a sustainable life. It was a question that according to Prabha could wait. She was happy...may be happy was a very diminutive to what she experienced....she was going to be a mother. After 2 months there is going to be another life blossoming on her door. A life that she would nurture with her flesh and blood. She finished her daily chore and sat waiting for her husband to return. She had her routine check-up at the nearby medical camp tomorrow. They provided calcium and vitamin tablets free of cost to the pregnant mothers. Though her husband does not approve the camp, she nevertheless wanted to give all medical – aid to her child. She felt a kick in her overlarge belly. Prabha smiled, her little angel was eager to see the world. But tonight she was tensed. She was vexed by her conversation with her husband in the morning. Prabha had put forth the possibility of giving birth to a daughter. But this was something Ramu couldn’t accept. For him it was a disgrace to have a daughter at home. She was afraid. That’s when she heard a knock and her husband was home. She served him dinner and the day was over. 2 months passed in Prabha’s house in a wink...she was all ready to welcome her little one....she was excited, and impatient to hold it in her arms....to hear him/her call her amma....she surely was impetuous. Finally, after the long wait of 9 months, the day arrived. In the middle of the night, Prabha felt the discomfort which gradually kept on increasing. Ramu ran and called the anganwaadi maid. For him it was an anxious wait outside the door. He prayed for his wife and son. Soon his wait was over and the maid congratulated him “Mubarak ho!!!! Apke ghar Lakshmi aayi hai!!!” (Congratulations, you have been gifted with a daughter). The grin on Ramu’s face faded. He hadn’t expected this. He went inside and saw Prabha with his daughter. Prabha was contented. She couldn’t have asked for anything more. She was on cloud nine to see her little one suckling her breast. She wanted to protect her from all evil. She had even decided her name – Rani. She then realised Ramu had still not seen his daughter. She called for him. Ramu’s response was unexpected. He blamed Prabha for the birth of his daughter. He refused even to hold the child. He practically disowned Rani. Prabha cried and tried to reason out with him but according to him her Rani was a burden. He left the room, turning a deaf ear to Prabha’s cries. Rani cried, maybe even she was moved by the tears of her mother or was expressing her own displeasure towards her father’s indifference. Rani was soon asleep into her angelic world. Prabha too was tired from the long night and cried herself to sleep. Ramu was nowhere to be seen. In the morning, Prabha was gripped by fear. Her Rani was not besides her. Who had taken away her child?? She screamed for her daughter.

Ramu came with Rani in his arms. Prabha was relieved to see her daughter in his arms. He had finally accepted her. How could a father not love his own daughter?? But it was Prabha’s misconception. Ramu could never come to the terms of having a daughter. He laid in front of her the dead body Rani. He had thrown her on a big stone and Rani had died of brain injury. Prabha couldn’t scream, she couldn’t cry....she was silent....her husband had killed her daughter...her Rani was dead....she couldn’t protect her child....she had failed as a mother....her Rani had been slaughtered. But she couldn’t complain. She couldn’t drag her husband to court and ask for justice. Not only because she lived in a male dominated society but she couldn’t revive her Rani....her born yet unborn spring was dead.

P.S.This story was fiction. But a problem faced at large by our country. Every day so many daughters are brutally murdered in the name of society. Root of female foeticide is the mindset of our Indian males. So many women share the pain of Prabha. But neither can they help their daughters nor themselves. I wanted to share my feelings on this topic and I hope I did justice to it.

20 comments:

  1. sad face of our society :(

    well written,,,

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  2. M speechless....You have done full justice to it.

    Wish people could leave aside this bias.

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  3. i dont know what to say to that.. definitely a sad truth in the society and all of us come across it in some way or the other..
    i hope change occurs.. and i pray to the lords above that when i become a mommy i am blessed with a girl child..(a fairy in disguise) :)

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  4. I actually know people who rebuke their daughters and it sucks.. I was just reading a research that most caregivers are women. Daughter, daughters-in-law and wives.Women give so much and all they want in return is birth..The right to live!

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  5. it was a social awarness post..my heart cries out for prabha and little rani
    how brutal can anyone be to kill a cute baby..who hasn't even opened her eyes..?
    even though it is fiction..there was a coat of reality painted on it...i heard many such true stories.

    wonderful work ! such posts make a difference to the society and call for social awakening.

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  6. Alhamdolilah, i belong from a family of overflowing boys. left. right. center. so I am so glad I am a girl, being only in my paternal family and only seconded by a 10 month old in maternal family I have been enjoying every minute of existence, Alhamdolilah. But i know of people who're not lucky as I am. And I grieve for them :(



    What i will say is that it is a very delicate topic to write on, and you've tackled it very sensibly. Kudos.



    ps. with so many posts on social issues, I am chaffing my hands, and scratching my brain to contribute something too :) thankyou people for being such a valuable part of Forum !

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  7. so here you are...again with something powerful. Nicely expressed, simple yet assertive.

    Its another evil of the indian society. Im teling u, as i had mentioned in my post, NOW THE TIME FR PEACEFUL TALKING AND DISCUSSIONS, RALLIES, ETC...ITS OVER NOW.

    Now, get the guy who attempted this crime, Treat him like an animal in front of the public, and air it on national television.

    Ul c d diffrnce. Next tym, some1 attempying 2 do dat crime wud think a million times before even dreaming of it......

    Nice work. Keep it up.

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  8. it is very sad to see this ugly portion of Indian Society...Let's take a pledge...Let us join our hands to do something to change this!!! Lets Teach them, Help them, Aid them, Scold them or Go against them but Lets Stop them

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  9. That was gruesome..... A real sad story, but well narrated...

    And yes I agree with you, this is common in India, mainly rural India..... Our system has been like that, n i dont know how many generations it would take for that to change....
    In the meanwhile, steps can be taken...

    Anyway, nice write up..

    Cheers..!!
    Arjun

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  10. @pretty me

    yes its a sad state of our society...i wish it changes in the course of time...thanks

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  11. @where thoughts are words

    thanks a lot...i was apprehensive of vat i have written..cuz its a sensitive issue and should be addressed properly

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  12. @kajal

    hey kajal we share the same prayer...i too wish i give birth to sweet little daughter...yes i also hope, change occurs...

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  13. @ rashi

    a sad truth..... the giver of life begs for the right to live...what an irony...i hope change occurs and we girls recieve our duly respect...

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  14. @ aparna

    my heart cries for them too...but i wish that was enough to give such mother's a relief...thanks for the appreciation...

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  15. @asbah

    u r lucky asbah...an i pray that every in our country is soo lucky where their birth is taken as a gift and not a burden...thanks a lot...

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  16. @ silent soul

    i was waiting for ur coment...nywys yes some action has to be taken....otherwise the poors state of our country will never change....thanks for the apreciation

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  17. @naveen

    i agree with you...lets all take a pledge to stop this...do nything to just make a difference...ven do we say dat enough is enough and its tym for a change!!

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  18. @ arjun

    thanks arjun...but i must say that its never too late...if v start taking small steps today...there is going to be some change in due cours of time....

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  19. It's an issue that should've been prioritized long back, and it's high time we do it now! Being a girl and having had an equal opportunity in every wake of life upto this point, I feel extremely irritated when somebody does this... The saddest part is, it exists even among the so-called educated section of the society too! WHEN will people learn???

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  20. @akanksha

    yes its a sad state in our society and including our elite sophisticated class...it should have been adressed long days back but our impotent govt doesnt seem to reali this....

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