Showing posts with label Ei Samay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ei Samay. Show all posts

Sunday 9 March 2014

Women silently fighting for their rights

Women's day is over. Mother's day is coming. Our society has changed a lot. These days women are treated with more respect. They are more aware of their rights. Even a domestic help knows what is gender equality though she may not know the exact term. I'm not talking about the metropolitans only but also about the rural India. Here is a story read in a Bengali daily, Ei samay ....... I was completely awe struck by the courage and tenacity of that girl.

Some where in south 24 Parganas she lives with her 5 year old boy. She is 18 by the way. She lost her father at a very young age. Her mother was a domestic help. Poor lady, the mother had to leave for work every morning in order to earn bread for the family. The girl was in School and a good student, I mean not a very brilliant one but still..... one day in her mother's absence at the age of  mere 12 she was raped by a neighbour. She was threatened with dire consequences. Being scared she didn't share with anybody until she was pregnant.

Local kangaroo court asked her to abort the illegitimate child and the rapist was ordered to bear the expenditure for the abortion...... can you believe it?????? Even her mother and brother agreed with the verdict.... but she refused to obey the verdict. That was the beginning of the true ordeal. They were out casted. A police complaint was finally launched. The bloody paedophile was arrested. Despite the social stigma she gave birth to her boy. She had to bid goodbye to her school. They were forced to leave their village.

The irony is that the rapist was acquitted and even got married. But the victim is still single, leaving in lurch with her mother and son. The boy is admitted to a School. Being a single mother she has to work hard.

Hats off to her!!!!!! What a lady!!!!! She still dreams....