Listen to our plea…..

 A post by Smita Salins

As me and my daughter stood at our window yesterday morning, admiring the freshly rinsed green leaves and smelling the wet mud from the first rains, the old auntyji from the building next to ours, passed by. She was taking her daily stroll. She stopped for a moment to chit-chat with us. While we spoke, she suddenly happened to ask me about my ‘other child’. All this while, she used to think I had two kids. And when she got to know I had just one, that too, a daughter, her mouth opened wide, like the cave of ‘sim sim‘.
Then, the barrage of words that fell out of her mouth, stunned me. With her eyes wide in bewilderment, she started expressing her so-called views to me; like how its very important to have a boy child, how it’s so essential to have a minimum of two kids etc. If that woman would have been fifty years younger, I would have showered her with the choicest of words, but I held myself back, only out of sheer respect. I just silenced her by saying, “My daughter is equal to ten boys, and I’m very happy with just one”. She moved away slowly, head shaking from side to side, still not ready to accept my explanation.
Although, the entire scenario might seem hilarious to a few, this thought process which stems from centuries of brain-storming by our ancestors, still poses a threat to the very existence of a woman. And the worst part-women themselves tend to believe so. It has always been imposed that a woman is inferior to man. She is supposed to be his slave, bow down to his every command, do as he pleases, when he pleases….and she is not supposed to complain. So, they do not complain, do not raise their voices. They just die a bit everyday. They are made to believe that its their fault, that they deserve this treatment. We all know of someone or the other who has suffered like this, going through hell; child marriages, rapes, molestation, marital rapes, slavery, acid attacks and so much more.

All these women are helpless, and there is nothing much we can do about it. But then, I thought, “Maybe I can write about it”. My contribution might just be like a needle in a big stack of hay, but I hope it turns out to be a powerful needle; something that will prick when it needs to. I decided to write a story about my friend, and the hardships she went through for thirty years of her married life. The cherry on the cake was that the story got selected to be published. Another step in the direction of change, in the direction of hope and in the direction of freedom from all atrocities. Protest must begin from somewhere, and what better start than this!
The name of the book is CRUMPLED VOICES and my story is titled, “Indira’s story“. Mine is just one story among 21 heart-touching, real-life stories covering a wide range of social issues. Through each of the story in this book, we have tried to highlight the unimaginable crimes in society. Our government has been quiet for quite long. We have been quiet for too long, but not anymore. Its time to wake up, time for stringent laws, stricter action…to deter the perpetrators of these crimes.
You, as a reader, can contribute in a small way, to help get the word out, help us get closer to our goal….which is the liberation of every woman in our society. These women want to be heard…and its our duty to listen. Our book is available on pre-order at a very special rate. So please do make sure to order it from the following link. Come, be a part of this revolution.
http://www.homeshop18.com/crumpled-voices-shades-suffering/author:ila-garg/isbn:9788192960937/books/fiction/product:31834997/cid:10916/

Images courtesy:
http://www.skepticmoney.com/possible-nm-bill-makes-abortion-illegal-as-destruction-of-evidence/rapevictims/  
http://archives.deccanchronicle.com/130421/news-current-affairs/article/minor-rape-victims-hit-mental-breakdown
http://theriskyshift.com/2012/08/wanton-destruction-acid-attacks/
http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/11/23/domestic-violence-can-a-perpertrator-change/
http://clashdaily.com/2014/06/question-honor-killings-wheres-honor/

Acid Attacks

A post by Priyanka Bansal

Why did you do this to me? What wrong I had done to you? I didn’t even know you. I just said a simple ‘no’. Was it that hard to accept?

 You must be having a lot of guts to do this. I must say. Now show some more and come and face me. Come and see the effects of the acid you tossed .I have lost all my colors. Now I am only gray and black.

What have you achieved by doing this?

You can’t feel and imagine the pain I am going through. My skin is peeling all over. Or I should say there is no skin left at all. Only skeleton with cracked bones is left. My beautiful eyes have turned into deep holes and people avoid eye contact with me. I cannot speak now. My tongue has been badly burnt. Leave speaking, I find it hard to breathe, even to swallow.

I walked confidently .But now I have lost it all.

You said you love me?? Ah! What an ashamed lover you are. I never loved you and now I simply hate you.

 I have lost everything. Will you ever be able to return all that? If you cannot, who gave you the right to snatch away my beauty from me? My parents are dying with me bit by bit every day.

Don’t you dare do it again to another pretty face? I beg of you.

Why no one came to help me?

Would you have reacted the same way had I been your own sister, mother or daughter?

You all left me there bleeding and in excruciating pain.

How can people behave as rocks?

This is not a fictional story or article. This is something which is happening all around us. In every morning news, there are at least 2 cases of acid attacks. Other crimes that top the chart are of gang rapes, honor killings, domestic violence, eve teasing, molestations and the list is endless.

But all of us can bring a little change to the society as a whole. Instead of just sitting, gossiping and thinking that it cannot happen to me, we can try to bring a change through small leaps.

Here is the chance to pen about such crimes that are eating the society like termites.

Crumpled Voices is an anthology that is all about such crimes. Do participate and let the world know that still some of us are not just gossiping, we are actually acting

https://www.facebook.com/crumpledvoices

http://www.homeshop18.com/crumpled-voices-shades-suffering/author:ila-garg/isbn:9788192960937/books/fiction/product:31834997/cid:10916/

I saw a girl dancing in the rain

A post by Nazar Mubeen

It was a rainy day when I first saw her. I was standing at a bus stop to save myself from getting drenched. There was a lot of mud on the roads, people were running here and there, seeking sheds to escape from the rain, children were enjoying in that rain, making paper boats, some shopkeepers on footpath were trying to save their items from getting ruined in the rain.

Suddenly, my eyes fell upon a pretty girl but I was unaware of her name, status, and even age. She was sitting in a car with some other guy and wanted to come outside to feel the rain but the man with her was instructing her not to do it and sit calmly. Was he trying to engulf the freedom of that girl or really cared about her? I don’t know.

She was staring at the other people on the road and I guess she was feeling jealous of them. She didn't listen to the shouts of the man and came out of the car at last.

I was standing there looking for her reactions when suddenly a bus came. People started pushing each other to get inside, I didn’t move neither wanted to go, I don’t know why but I only wished to see the girl. The girl jumped like she was a free bird, she was feeling the rain with open hands like she wants to get lost in it. She was lost in her dreamy world.

The rain started slowing down gradually. The man inside was watching helplessly for a long time now and finally he came out. In that moment, I realized that the two personalities living together had a totally different vision about life; one wanted to just stare from outside and other wanted to take it inside her and feel the joy.

Man – What do you think you were doing?

Girl – I was just trying to feel the rain.

Man – Is this the way to feel the rain?

Girl – Not actually but I didn’t want to miss this rain.

Man – For this stupid rain, you are spoiling my status and my expectations from you. Moreover, you disobeyed me.

Girl – Is my freedom and desire less important than your terms?

Man- Come and sit inside. We have to go now.

Girl- No, tell me first. Give me the answer.

Man – I don’t want to talk on this.

Man took her with him inside the car forcefully without giving her answer. She was sobbing and feeling bad.

Who is right or wrong I can’t say, but for a girl freedom, desire, happiness is as important as anything else and for a man, pride and status seems more important than anything else. Women wants to see love, care, pride, affection, dreams in her life, wants to feel like a free bird, wants to see the respect from others but does men really treat them like it? I was lost in the thoughts and then rain stopped and I went for my work taking many questions in mind and still searching for their answers.

You can read the story of one such girl in the novel titled, Cheer Up – The Worst is yet to come.

Order online and get whooping discount of 40%. Limited Time Offer, Hurry Up readers!
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CHILD LABOUR - HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED IT?

CHILD LABOUR - A post by Nazar Mubeen

It was the early morning like any other day but there were few things that happened with me on that day which made me think of some issues related to the loopholes in our system and most importantly related to our future generation. I woke up and started my day with tea in my hand. I was standing in the balcony when suddenly I saw a boy, approx. 10 years old, on a bicycle distributing newspapers. A thought struck me, ‘this boy distributing paper, did he ever think about what is written inside? Did he ever think about the rights provided to him by the government? Did he ever bother about the getting educated? Going to school?’ It disturbed me.

His eyes were full of sadness, heart full of dreams, but either because of stomach or because of financial problem he had to distribute paper. I thought about the rich people, the rich kids and how they spend their mornings. I am sure it’s full of comfort unlike that boy in the street.

It did hit me for few seconds but soon I moved on as it is a regular case in the country. I walked to a Tea shop and again I saw a child serving tea and getting scolded by the owner. I saw as he sadly stared at the children of his age going to a school in a uniform. I saw in his eyes how deliberately he wanted to go to school but then,

Shop owner scolded him again - “Do your work properly.”

I said – “He is just a child.”

Shop owner – “I don’t care. His father urged me to give work to him.”

I said – “You shouldn’t do it.”

Shop owner – “I pay his father 300 a month.”

This was the moment I felt that the dream of this country can be sold in merely 300 rupees. And, the tuition fees of a private school Rs. 3000 a month. Is this country providing equal opportunities to all? How can these poor children get the basic education if the fees is so high and they are clutched with the responsibility of earning?

I moved on again with a heavy heart. Waiting for the college bus, again I saw some children on a footpath with open hands circulating around every person on the stop in hope of getting just one penny. A girl from that group came to me, she must be approx. 6 years old -

“I didn’t eat anything since morning. Please give me something to eat bhaiya.”

The voice I heard was so full of panic and sadness. And people across me keep telling me that they are trained beggars don’t give money to them. I was shocked by the mentality of the citizens. Even beggars can be trained? If yes then WHY? It’s not the profession that anybody would ever want to choose. It was alarming!

From that day onwards, I encountered many children of age below 14 years working like a labor in some shop, in some school, in some business firm. Do the owners not realize that it is declared as a sin by the government? Child Labor is a punishable offense.

From the report – The 2001 national census of India estimated the total number of child labor, aged 5–14, to be at 12.6 million, out of a total child population of 253 million in 5-14 age group. The child labor problem is not unique to India; worldwide, about 217 million children work, many full-time.

It depend on us whether we want to eradicate or increase like before. If we want to ensure a better future for the children of our society, we should work towards it too instead of solely depending on the Government. Start educating children around you, counsel their parents, tell the owners to stop employing them as labors.

A small step is taken towards the improvement of the society by Gargi Publishers. A venture named "Crumpled Voices" (Shades of Suffering) an anthology of such stories related to social issues.

Let us raise our voice supporting them. I am a part of it, now it’s your turn. You can submit your entry as per the instructions on the poster –

Book your copies as fast as possible – 

 

Order online and get whooping discount of 40%. Limited Time Offer, Hurry Up readers! - http://bit.ly/1hIjjmK