That Lost Tiara: The Condition Of A Girl Child In India

By Madhuri Gautam:

Last night, in my dream, I saw a girl with a beautiful smile, wearing a frock, dancing to the soft music and laughing merrily in a large room. The moment was mesmerising but suddenly the lights went off and the girl stopped dancing. She was frightened and started crying. The next moment, everything was dark and the door was locked. I rushed towards the door and tried to open it. I couldn’t get past through it and suddenly the noises faded into the darkness and silence prevailed. The door opened but all I could see was a shining tiara lying on the floor. That little princess was gone and then, I woke up.

This horrible dream is today’s bitter truth and cruelty of the section of people in our society for whom a girl means nothing more than shame and burden. In today’s fast paced world where women are working shoulder to shoulder with men and are achieving equal amount of success, there are numerous incidents of infanticides in our country.

And I am more shocked on witnessing such gruesome acts happening every day. In the baby Afreen case, the father tried to take his infant daughter’s life in the most hideous manner possible. What was the crime of that infant? How can a father do that to his own child? And she is not the only one. Numerous such cases of tender souls being crushed go unnoticed.

Is being a girl a grave mistake? When God never discriminated between the two genders then why is the man created by the same God questioning and even curbing the existence of a girl. On one hand where women are achieving success and the country is developing, why is the narrow mindedness gaining power and making women helpless? It is shameful that when people are building strong concrete houses, the mere human civilisation is residing on shaky grounds with such acrimonious acts flourishing.

What is it that gives someone the audacity to snatch away the most beautiful gift of nature? Is the person blind to the twinkling of her eyes, deaf to her cries? The truth is that a section of our society has become handicapped towards the existence of a girl. I am fed up with such notions and I stand against the people for whom a girl is merely a burden and mistake.

I am proud to be a girl and have the right to live, the right to freedom, the right to speak and above all, the right to happiness same as everyone else. Also, it is our duty to be aware against such evils so that no Afreen loses her life. Today’s youth has the power that can do wonders and should come forward to eradicate such discriminations. Through this article, I appeal to the readers to come forward and make others realise the value of the girl as well.

Only then she will be seen laughing and dancing again with the shining tiara on her head. After all, a daughter is a happy memory of the past, joyful moment of present and hope for the future.