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Even A Child Knows the Importance of Education

Written by Inderpreet Kaur

Ghanshyam was a worried man, every time he looked he sighed! He tried to avoid looking but it did not work, what was he to do? Every time he needed something, each time he called out, there it was, staring him in the face.

He searched and discussed; thought and argued with himself and with his friends but a solution did not present itself. Such a dilemma he faced and he could not imagine how others had agreed to it? It was a fate he would not wish on any one, even those who were in favour of the action.

There had been only one other man who had stood with him in this dilemma; he had been criticized and ridiculed but he held firm. Ghanshyam did not disagree with the man but he could also not support him. Ghanshyam was a poor man, a farmer and his family would not survive if the village went against him. This man was a craftsman, he always had work.

Yet again, the village elders were coming to ask him his decision, they said he was already late as his daughter was 13, old enough to be a mother not just a wife! His Geeta? She was just a child, playing, laughing and studying so well.

He shuddered when he thought of it. He remembered his best friend Uttam whose daughter had died in childbirth. She had been 15, such a tender, loving and intelligent girl. His friend had left the village after that unable to see it happen to his second daughter too, wanting to protect her.

Was he strong enough to take a stand? Yet again he wondered what awaited his little girl.

Suddenly his wife came running. The landlord’s son had eve-teased the girls returning from school and his daughter was among them. They told her he had said that Geeta was free since she was not married so he could have his way with her. The girls had barely managed to run away and escape.

As she sat crying, Ghanshyam made up his mind, he would end this. Women in his village were not meant for living in freedom or have an education; maybe he was wrong in letting his daughter study and not marry her off.

He told his wife not to worry and he would tell the elders to fix Geeta’s marriage; that would solve the problem. His wife started to cry and begged him not to do it. Eve-teasing did not happen to just the girls. No woman or girl was spared by the landlord and his son, and he knew that.

He turned as he heard a sound, to see his daughter standing with her little brother at the threshold. Her eyes questioning, her face sad and tortured by the words she had just heard.

Suddenly the little boy spoke, “Let us go to the city like Uttam Chacha, no one will trouble didi there and you will get your friend back. You were happy with him, papa.”

Ghanshyam was startled by the words and suddenly smiling he gathered his family close.

He had his solution; his son had made up his mind for him.

 

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(This post was written as part of #Selfies4School campaign by Breakthrough TV)

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Inderpreet Kaur

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