February 28, 2007

Responsibility

There once lived, in a sleepy little village, a girl named Nirmala. She went to school, but to make ends meet she had to work after school. Though it might seem like a very hard life, it was, in many ways, better than the life that many children in the very same village had to go through.

Now, it so happened that the family she worked for had two children almost her age. She saw them play and she worked but after her work was done she attempted to join them in their games. She never grudged the work she had to but she failed to comprehend why the kids did not like to play with her. She was ready to do anything when told, but she expected to be treated like you treat one of her own. You know how children are. They can hardly understand the divides of economy, class, caste or creed, even family, that we adults are ready to kill and die for.

The family she worked for was really nice to her too and yet, to her, it all seemed so cruel. Everyday something happened that broke her heart but her face never showed it. When it was time to eat she was given the same thing as the children but she was given it in a different place and at a different time. Maybe it was going to school that had turned her head, taught her concepts like equality for all, and being equal in God’s eyes and all the good things that we, adults, write in our books and yet rarely practice. She was not able to understand why her life was what it was? What it was that she had done that made her life different from the kids in the family?

Then one day tired of trying to comprehend all the if’s and but’s of life, she went ahead and ended it all. She committed suicide. And she was all of 13 years of age.

Who do you think is responsible for her untimely death?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure what answer you are looking for. The girl of course took her own life supposedly knowing she was valuable to God. I assume you mean the wealthy family, however what they did by giving her employment would tend to negate their responsibility. Perhaps her parents her were too poor to make her life a playground? This kind of situational ethics hurts my head.

pushkalAn& pattabhiraman said...

well.. Suicide is one of the most immature decision, a rational mind can take.
there are lot of things in life that deadlines and money make it happen... to stress it further.. LIFE itself is ruled by deadlines,,,,
A child must come out of womb within the stipulated deadline of 9 odd months...the child should be able to walk within the stipulated 3 years.....
there are loads of such deadlines........
so.. had that gal remained alive... i m sure her life would have been going tooo!
Belive me... NOTHING IN THIS WORLD HAPPENS WITHOUT A REASON...
Call it phunny philosophy or Funny Funda.... i strictly believe it!

cheers
Pushkala

Blue Panther said...

Markmorris2: I dont mean the wealthy family at all. In fact, I dont know myself who is to blame because I feel that more than anything itself it was the situation that was most responsible for the act.

Pushkala: I would agree with the philosophy!

Unknown said...

hmmm. i think that things must be seriously wrong somewhere & largely not related to the child if a child commits suicide.

seriously "ouch" on reading this.

racial/caste/segregation does wayyy a lot of damage to individuals :(

Anonymous said...

i think our society is very rigid and is so much internalised by the people that they are not ready to change...so i think this attitude is somewhere is responsible for her suicide

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