Truth is overrated. Truth alone itself manifests as the supreme thing above everything, multiple religious dogmas claim that 'Only the truth can set you free' and almost every supreme court in this world is built on the foundation of 'truth alone triumphs'.
However, with this human obsession of truth, there is one harsh reality out there waiting for us. In Hindi there is one saying, 'Truth is always bitter,' which is as true as it can get. Rationally speaking, truth is as bitter as anything human does. We are a civilization build on the foundation of lies and deception and truth is something that will haunt us.
Its a harsh reality of it all, to build a society, we need lies. Everything cannot be told to everyone. Our own appointed government wants to keep secret from us, which is fair, for they do not know which person would harm us all and who wouldn't. Parents have to lie about Santa Claus or Easter Bunny or in most part of India, Bagulbua, the monster of darkness or the kids will have to face the reality, life is boring as it is and there is nothing exciting than history class to wake up too.
Why am I taking truth today? On Sunday, the entire world was glued to another reality Television show called, 'Satyameva Jayate' or 'Truth Alone Triumphs' by Amir Khan. Since, then twitterverse and the universe is buzzing with people supporting the show and calling it an eye opener for all.
The show was beautifully composed with some mothers re-accounting the horrors of female foeticide and how their mother in law kicked the new born girl babies. Then a social worker re-accounted that it all started in the 70s when people wanted boy child better than girl and so on. The show then concluded about the case of two journalist who raised a sting operation at many doctors who conduct sex determination test and secretly abort the girl child. I have nothing to comment on the show itself but on the topic of the show, female foeticide.
While the show was hard hitting and touching, it failed to touch the harsh reality of the issue, the crux of the topic in itself.
The real reason why female foeticide is prevalent in India, arrange marriages. Was it deliberate on the part of the show or was it avoided, cannot be known, but its the harsh reality of all.
Why don't parents need a girl child? What is it that is so special about the gender? Move over gender stereotypes that barbie doll definitely costs more than a car or that there are more than a dozen products for specially caring for their hair, not to mention a ten thousand bucks only to cut those tresses. But no, the reality is much more harsh,
With a girl child comes a social stigma on the one day twenty to twenty five years later, when she will be decorated, paraded and traded to be serving as a all in one sexual object, maid and a substitute mother for the male. The family of the groom can show as much as attitude towards the family of bride and they have to bear it. The family of the bride have to pitch in everything they own to buy her jewelry which she will not be needing anytime soon. And all in all, the fact that during the old age the girl won't be available as their insurance policy is killing the parents during her birth.
As a society we have reached an impasse that killing oneself or your children or your daughter in law is deemed honorable and better that a simple divorce. Woman decide to kill themself out of shame inflicted on them by our culturally rich society, you know in this case I am glad the girl was never born.
Suicide rate is much higher in our country yet, most of indians are alarmed at the increase in divorce rate.
This problem is not going to get solved by a clever programming of show or running a sting operations on doctors. It is not the doctors who suggest dropping the girl child, it is the medieval idea that a marriage is the ultimate goal in a persons life or a girl is someone else that are the culprits here. But however the clever programming nor the reporters will decide to go there, because there lies a pandora box sealed shut ages ago and no one wants to open.
They will decide to live in denial that this is not true, that arrange marriage is safest form of marriage out there and success rate of 94% in arrange marriage is tried and tested.
However, behind those close lid lies the truth, that very few people actually want to face, that arrange marriage is a virus on our society. 94% success rate is complemented by an equal suicide rate or marital rape rate or even female foeticide rate.
Till then time comes when the pandora box remains shut and hope that one day, indeed the truth shall set us all free.
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I don't need weapon, I have a sharp tongue.