Are girls safe in our country?

Just now I have come from the mortuary of the general hospital Kurnool. First time in my life I was in mortuary and it was a painful and saddening experience for me. Except doctor, police and medical staff, nobody plans to go mortuary, going there happens unexpectedly and involuntarily. My presence in mortuary was quite unplanned and unexpected.

Before telling further I should inform you that right now I am in Kurnool district for advanced immersion programme. I stay at TTDC guest house at first floor and on ground floor students from disadvantaged section get training under EGMM programme on government expense. In spite of my busy schedule I take out some time to take personality development class for them. I enjoy taking class for them and they also enjoy my company.

It was Sunday yesterday and there was nothing much to do so whole day I read novel and story book. In evening I wanted to see immersion ceremony of lord ganesha so I went outside to catch an auto and go to immersion place. Before I could catch auto, one student told me in broken English “sir, accident, our friend’s sister in hospital”. At first instance, I could not understand anything but from his repeated explanation I understood that one of students’ sister got serious problem and she was in hospital. They were six and along with them I too sat in the auto and went to hospital. After reaching there I came to know that that girl died two hours before in the hospital and her body was taken to the mortuary for post-mortem. Girl’s mother was weeping inconsolably and she had a fits and collapsed on the floor. Everybody was weeping and whole atmosphere was depressing.

How she died? What had happen to her? Was she suffering from any illness? Did she meet with an accident? So many questions were roaming in my mind. I asked one person who was with the deceased family about her death; He said “she has committed suicide sir, she consumed poison in the afternoon” ‘But why’- that was my next question ‘Because she had fight with her mother in the morning ,her father beat her’ ‘But why her mother fought with her, reason’ – ‘her mother wanted her to marry with her brother and she was not willing to marry, moreover she wanted to study further’

Further I came to know that girl was eighteen years old, studying in intermediate. As per tradition her mother wanted her to marry with her brother but she was against of this alliance. On this matter they fought in the morning and in desperation she consumed poison to end her life. Nobody in her family had anticipated that she would take such extreme step for marriage issue.

The brother of the deceased wanted to see her body but mortuary was locked. He met with the person who had key of the mortuary but he was not willing to open it. So they had lengthy discussion in telgu which I could not understand but at the end of the discussion brother paid fifty or sixty rupees to that person to see his sister’s dead body. I went inside the mortuary along with him. Inside scene was horrible. Her dead body was on the surface, room was completely dirty, and everywhere blood strain was there. The foul smell was emanating from the room which was unbearable. I could not stand that smell and after coming from that room I puked. ‘Oh such a scant respect for dead body’- I became depressed.

She committed suicide, was it only for marriage issue? Is the reason of her death is so simple? I do not believe, I do not agree. She died because she wanted to lead her own life; she wanted to take her own decision, she wanted to study further, she wanted to live for herself, she wanted to defy social norms. She knew that if she was alive she would not live according to her own. When she saw no way out she took such a drastic step.

Our society is male dominated orthodox society where personal liberty of women is considered as a sin. Here men have every right to control women’s body, soul, mind everything. In any matter why not it is directly related to women, men have a say but women cannot even open her mouth. Even women sexuality is controlled by men. A girl’s status may change, she may become wife and mother but treatment remains same. If society does not change its attitude towards girls,girls cannot be said safe in our country.