Dear donors and friends, Every day I read many heart drenching stories of this type. But, I do not forward them or comment on them. Some of them touches my personal life. This story is one of such. My mother (who passed away 20 years ago) was the most generous and kindhearted human I have personally experienced in my life. Though she was poor, she never hesitates to help anyone in need. I have so many pleasurable memories of her kidness towards others. They make me feel good when I remember them. Whatever the little good I have in me, I proudly proclaim, it came from my mom Vazramma (Vazram means dimond in Telugu), very suitable name to her character. The story I am telling is a different kind that we read in this news item. The story goes this way: When I was a child, my family owned a couple of she-buffalos for milk. As both my parents (still they used to do lot of work) were elementary school teachers and we were too small, we need someone to help with the buffalos. My father was well-known for his honesty in our villages and so he was a well respected man among all villagers. Knowing my father’s intentions, a boy’s (Sambiaha who is little older than me) father approached my father to offer his sons services. Sambaiah’s father was a Madiga (sub-caste among Andhra Dalits) whereas we are Mala. He was an entertainer by profession whose earnings cannot feed his family of several children. They live in the fields guarding them for a small fee. Sambaiah had a sturdy boy, but short. He joined our family as one of the members and he used to called my parents Amma, and Nanna (per my parent’s instructions) and us (my siblings and me) brothers. I sometimes think now, that was a child labor and my parents wouldn’t have done it. But, it happened. I remember him always tired and my heart cries when I think of him now. I would be more proud of my parents had they educated him instead. One day, while grazing the buffalos, he tied a small calf’s leash to his wrist. There was a truck horn and the calf frightened. Now, imagine what happened. The calf started running in the field. It was summer. The field was full of ups and downs, parched with big openings in the land. By the time, someone noticed, it dragged him for so many furlongs. Someone caught the animal and by that time Sambaiah’s body was full of blood. It was a holiday for me and I remember watching the scene which I can’t imagine without feeling pain in my heart. My parents rushed to his aid and his father was informed. His father wanted to take him his home and treat him there. But, my mother did not allow it and she nursed him sitting by his bedside (day and night) till he became perfectly normal. I could imagine my mother’s devotion to him when he was in bed. In later years, I went to college and he got married and had his own children. But, whenever he knew that I am at home, he would pay us a visit with headload of various fruits (especially Tati munjalu or Palmyra fruits, I was very fond of). After I came to US, I started enquiry about his whereabouts sending my people in search of him. I want to do something for him. To my sadness, my relatives informed me that he passed away several years ago due to some illness and his family was not traceable as they live in the fields. I do not know how much effort they put. How sad my heart felt! I wanted to help atleast his children. I am still in search of his family. If I visit India (I do not know when), that was one of my first priorities. In Sambaiah’s story, I would have much appreciated my parents, had they gave him education, even though they employed him. But, that did not happen and I feel sorry for that. When I read this story of cruelty, I remember the story of sympathy and compassion. I do not know why people behave to cause harm to innocent and hapless children despite robbing their precious lives. They could be little kind to them as they are under their care. I am sure there are millions of children suffer just because of their helpless conditions of their families. Who save them? When this ends? There are many organizations floating around and number of laws to protect them. Despite all this the people who do such heinous crimes get away very lightly, in this case they got the bail immediately. No answers except making heart heavy to breath. Thanks for patiently hearing my story. With regards Ben Kaila http://www.thaindia n.com/newsportal /uncategorized/ couple-booked- for-torturing- dalit-girl_ 100254365. html Couple booked for torturing Dalit girl
September 30th, 2009 - 9:46 pm ICT by IANS - Lucknow, Sep 30 (IANS) A woman was arrested Wednesday and a search was on for her husband after they allegedly held a six-year-old Dalit girl hostage for the past six months and tortured her, police said. The matter came to light Sunday when police raided their home on a complaint by the girl’s mother and rescued her. “We were shocked to see the condition of the girl who had injuries and bruises all over her body. She could hardly walk,” Paresh Pandey, superintendent of police (Trans Gomti), told reporters. The husband, Rajiv Verma, a music teacher in a private school, was arrested the same day (Sunday) and sent to jail. However, he was out on bail now and police Wednesday secured an arrest warrant against him. His wife Rekha was arrested Wednesday. The couple had taken the girl, identified as Shivdevi, from her parents, promising to arrange for her education. “However, they engaged her in taking care of their infant child and when she failed to do this, they started torturing Shivdevi,” inspector Vinay Gautam of Gomti Nagar police station told IANS. They did not allow Shivdevi to meet her parents during the past six months. “While her father Maujilal is a rickshaw puller, her mother is a labourer,” Gautam added. According to police, the child told them that “when I could not do (baby-sitting) , they started beating me and even gave me electric shocks”. She said they even put a heated pressure cooker on her head resulting in deap bruises and hair loss. “The girl was not even fed properly and is suffering from malnutrition. She has serious injuries on her head, legs, knees, hands and face,” Pandey added. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ An educated man without character and humility was more dangerous than a beast. If his education was detrimental to the welfare of poor, he was a curse to society. -Babasaheb Dr B R Ambedkar Please visit www.friendsforeducation.org or www.ambedkarscholarship.org
