VEDANTA KHUSHI

"KHUSHI" is an AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, launched by Vedanta Resources plc, with a focus to sensitize people towards care for the underprivileged and deprived children – their Nutrition – Education – Health and overall development. Join Khushi on facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/vedantakhushi and send motivational stories at khushi.creatinghappiness@gmail.com . LET US MAKE INDIA A CHILD MALNOURISHED FREE NATION..

VEDANTA KHUSHI : BIDDING FAREWELL TO 'KHUSHI'...

This story on Vedanta Khushi is one of such stories that not just pulled the heart out but made us think of the never ending ground realities.

It was never easy.. Born in a poor family with 6 brothers and sisters, in a remote village of Bihar, Khushi, from the very childhood found difficult to survive. Her mother and father never wanted her but she was born, as the life of her mother was in danger and her father decided to let another girl be borne, after 3 more girls. Today they are 4 sisters and 2 brothers. The brothers go to school and the girls work in the house. She is the youngest of the girl, fed less, pampered less, and of course, cursed the most. You cannot hear her voice even when she cries.

Her mother will ask all the 4 sisters to do some work or the other. Particularly Khushi was assigned the work of carrying food for the father and her two younger brothers, who went to school. Both were located at a distance of 5 km and she had to only walk. Her daily diet consisted the left out of her brothers and a glass of water. She was growing thinner.

The neighbour say, when she was borne, her mother cried not because a girl was born, but because, her father scolded her mother and abused her of giving birth to a girl again. Her grand-mother, i.e. her father's mother had even planned to get her father married once again, but some how, some village religious leader managed by saying that the next child is going to be a son.

One day, the incident that was not destined happened. While she was coming back from the school after giving lunch to his brothers, she fell in a pond of water. Infected with contaminated water she fell ill and by the time she returned home, she had high fever. The village doctor was called and he advised her father to take her to the city hospital.

Father reluctance, mother ignorance and sisters helplessness, brought Khushi to a state of non-recovery. She started sinking but her father did not budge.

Khushi, who was tried to be silenced even before she would be born, ultimately and finally, became silent.

The villagers joined for her last rights, but the father could not be seen and neither the brothers. The 3 sisters and mother kept saying, 'farewell Khushi - may your soul rest in peace'.

The story is true but the name has been changed.. I could not stop tears and no one could, when one of the sisters narrated this story in person, she is married and has a daughter, but she is over-protective about her daughter today. Alas, some one should tell such people, it is a girl only that god has blessed for giving a birth to a child, and if men could do the same, they would have understood the pain of nourishing a child 9 months in the womb and than loosing out to a unwanted fate, she said in tears.

3 comments:

  1. A very sensitive story Pavan Ji. You are correct there are many people who need to understand the value of life. Khushi is bringing the issues forward in a very simple manner.. Radhika Bajaj

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  2. Go to villages and you will find many houses doing the same 'paap'. Girls are considered always next to boys. This notion of people only tells how backward they are in thinking about girls.

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  3. I feel that a girl child makes your family "A Complete Family" in all respect.
    regards,
    manojshah

    ReplyDelete