When my heart bleeds for the children and my soul burns with rage…
When I see children, I see all good that remains in this world in their faces and actions. Doesn’t this world always christen children as; ‘the future of the world’, ‘the father of man’, ‘the epitome of innocence’ and ‘the icon of love’?
And this very same world also takes the pleasure to crush the very innocence of a child when they are used by adults to cater to their wild sexual needs.
Chubby Cheeks, dimple chin
Rosy lips, teeth within
Curly hair, very fair
Eyes are blue, lovely too
Teacher’s pet, “Is that you?”
Yes, yes, yes.
Aashu loves to recite this rhyme; she is after all her class teacher’s favorite student.
Aashu is a normal, pretty and lovable six year old child. She is the ultimate representation of joy, freedom and innocence. Aashu goes to a neighboring school and studies in 2nd grade. She loves Mummy, Papa and her doggy Bozo. Her best friend is Rashi and she shares her food and even her favorite crayons with her. Aashu loves to draw rainbows in her drawing book. Life is beautiful for Aashu and she blooms everyday basking in the love of all who know her and care for her.
But……
A month has passed since all have started noticing the changes in Aashu, she doesn’t laugh anymore, she hates going out to play and bursts into tears with no reason. She hits Rashi and doesn’t like Mummy,Papa or Bozo.
Mummy and Papa think it is just a phase, maybe it is the workload at school; after all Aashu is ‘no more a kid’.
They have no idea as to how ironical this statement is!
Yes, Aashu is no more a kid, her innocence, her modesty and her childish dreams have been destroyed and thrown away.
Nobody noticed that Aashu’s seven color rainbows had changed into red ones; she had started drawing small, childish stick figures which she would later slash them and tear the pages.
Those figures were Aashu herself!
Aashu used to bleed everyday but as the bleeding would stop in few minutes, she could never tell Mummy. Without proof, Mummy may think that she is lying and give her a good spanking. Already it pains every day and she doesn’t want more of it.
Aashu is scared!
Aashu wants Mummy to hug her tight and talk to her with love but she doesn’t want Papa to hug her, she is scared of Papa.
Papa is a ‘man’ just like the uncle who makes her bleed everyday, maybe Papa too will do the same and hurt her if he hugs her, so she remains far from Papa.
Mummy had told her on her 5th birthday( how happy we all were that day, we had many balloons, chocolates and glittering ribbons all over my room and I got so many gifts, Papa had given me the huge teddy bear) that GOD hurts only those who have sinned in this world.
So, that meant she had sinned and that’s why uncle hurt her!
She hates this world, she hates school, she hates uncle, she hates Mummy, Papa and Bozo.
She hates herself!
Aashu now wished only one thing – TO DIE!
I have never known Aashu personally, I have never met her but I know that this is the story of millions of children who are victimized by sex-fiends every second in this brutal world.
If, I could wish for something, I would wish that a story like Aashu’s never existed.
‘CHILD ABUSE’ (Yes, I have written it bold and loud so that the readers can feel at least an iota of this harsh reality), this is a phrase I have detested since the day I came to know what it actually means.
Before 19th century, child was considered a property and when I think of it now, aren’t they treated the same way even today when their childhood is scarred by actions of abuse?
“Universal Declaration of Human Right’s recognized ‘child rights’ in 1948.
The UN Convention on the Rights of Child came into force in 1990(this shows that it took almost half a century for adults to declare that children have rights too).
“The world would be a better place if we would bend down to try and protect these saplings from being trampled upon.”
This space and word limit is too short to describe this horrendous crime but I wish from the bottom of my heart that this piece would have scarred the heart and burnt the soul with rage of every reader. Because it is said;
“When the heart and soul rebel; a change is achieved”
We all should act or we may have to change the nursery rhyme to-
Wounded cheeks, broken chin,
Torn lips, no teeth within,
Ragged hair, dirty not fair
Eyes full of tears, full of pain
Teacher’s pet, “Is that you?”
No, No, No. I don’t want to be the pet.
Just save me from this big bad world!
Authored By Lekshmi. G.Nair, India
Tags: child abuse, social issues
158 Responses to “When my heart bleeds for the children and my soul burns with rage…”
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June 11th, 2008 at 5:50 am
i just have 1 comment about this post… it shows mass ignorance about child abuse… you are one of the unlucky many… please don’t take an offense, it’s perhaps that one time i mean it.. really!!!
June 11th, 2008 at 6:12 am
Did you craft this story by your own or it something real you witnessed? I would like to comment more on the same I get to know the answer.
June 11th, 2008 at 8:24 am
well…i’ve to accept , this is a good issue to write-up on…
But i just felt not so convincing with few lines in d post…
1. Children doesn’t know that molestation is shameful to disclose , n moreover, Why would a child hide that much of a physical pain at her parents??
secondly why did you chose a girl as protagonist,i am asking youout of my ignorance, don’t you think boy children are not victimised?i jus wonder…
n moreover i think this is something which you should lastly consider to portray with fictitious characters.
No offence but this is just my verdict.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Well, child abuse topic that you have choosen is a very very sensitive issue and must be written with care….You have talked about Ashu’s problem, Well,children of Ashu’s age group are very innocent and they dont know anything about mental harresment or what sex is… If they see anything wrong going with his/her they will immideatly let their parents know about the situation in whatever manner they could.
Infact, they don’t have that much of sense to think about this thing, they will just tell their parents especially mom or anyone who is close that the particular person is doing this or taht with him/her..
one more thing I would like to add here is children dont know about sex and if anyone take the advantage of any child by touching him/her,, they will simply go and tell their parents about the thing happend out of innocence,,,because they dont know wht has happend with them, they will just open it infront of anyone and at any place,,, so no question of ” thinking to die by Ashu” arises,,,
So, when you talk about such a sensitive issue in future, take care of these little things taht makes a big difference……
No offence,,,,only healthy Discussion….. BOL anyways……..
June 11th, 2008 at 10:37 am
ajit… khush… u rock!!! These are the points to be kept in mind when you post on such sensitive issues… and ya, another thing. What’s your concept of child abuse? From you post it seems you consider only physical abuse! I tell you, mental abuse can goes ways in destroying a child as well.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:48 am
hello to all!
Thank you for all the comments..and thank you for all the criticism..
@all
if u go deep into the italics you will know that the child is mentally unwell too.
about the issue of the child telling the parents!
they usually do not..
This story is just a story but related to real life incident.
As a journalist, i have been associated with counselling centres for kids who are sexually abused and the counsellor told me that children usually do not reveal sexual abuse cases to their parents and it is they who actually somehow later find it out( majority of the cases)
in a 700 word article, i am really sorry but my skills cudnt think of a better and innocent manner of portrayal…
June 11th, 2008 at 11:52 am
to sudeshna
No, i am not one of them…no offense taken but i cnt agree to things like that being said against me…
“a person may write or may not write well but that is no way of judging as to how well he knows about an issue”..
June 11th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
to admin and ajith.
IT IS related to a real life incident.
I DO NOT know AASHU personally…but I know ‘an Aashu’s’ story..
so, before commenting as to how fictitious it is, please wait and think for one second because a child somwr may have been hurt..
somebody did get hurt reading all this..
I have nothing against all your criticism but i would like only criticism not judgements…
Thank you:)
June 11th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Dear Lekshmi,
The point here is not the judgement, the thing is a six year year boy or girl are very sensitive and they cannot think to die,,,, because they are not aware of life and death….surely, there are chances that they may hide this thing from their parents, but only if exception is there…
Normally children of this age speak anything if they see anything unusual…..well, I agree with you that children do hide these things sometimes with their parents but this age is quite too short to hide anything like that….
And its a healthy discussion so, take it positively, hope you don’t mind,,,,,
,,,,
Thankx,,
June 11th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
At khush,
No khush, i took NO OFFENSE
But, when somebody slashes my article on the basis of things they can only assume and i actually know…it hurts.
i took this topic coz i am sensitive about this..
and if all want it to be healthy, NO LASHING on my article…
i am possessive about the child and the issue as well..
and a six year old child is not a very small child as things are today…
please, check the surrounding, a second grade child acts grown up today:)
June 11th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Dear sudheshna and ajith.
Thank you for pointing out things that you feel are not apt.( though i still find sudeshna’s comment that i am ignorant about the issue outraging for my self not because sudhs said so but because it is like a ‘FAILURE’ for me…am sorry if am being emotional)
thank you once again…
please do point out all that you find incorrect..
but not with the narration of the story only with the article
June 11th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
laxmi.. i think u really got me wrong!! u have worked as a journalist.. u dont know aashu… what if i tell u am aashu? and being aashu, i can really stand by what i say… perhaps i was a little to crude in commenting, i have to confess that any post about child abuse is something very close to my heart… and trust me when i say that, if u really know well about the issue, you perhaps couldn’t have created aashu in the 1st place… as ajit said, this is the last topic to create stories upon!! It’s not about fiction or a child got hurt… but when u write, u write for everyone including the child who was a victim… how can u hurt him/her by being so crude? please forgive me if am rude or fail to see ur point, but i really fail to see it…
as far as judgements go, i hope ur taking the criticism positively… will definitely look forward to good stuff from u… i’ve nothing against u dear, just that when i read this post, something in me cried out that this is again a post by a person who has never known what child abuse is to the core!!!
June 11th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
laxmi… pass me on ur chat id if u dont mind.. i know it hurts to see something u created getting a lashing… am really sorry for that… i really would like to talk to u personally
June 11th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
yes sure…yahoo- lekskitchoc
June 11th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
no sudeshna…
i dont know aashu..but i know someone who once lived that life..i do..
i wasnt crude..
but am sorry…it hurt…
June 11th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Dear Lekshmi,
I know and understand taht a 6 year child behaves a 10 year kid, in sense of fashion, style, looks, and they are well aware of this thing also that they how they are looking and how all are appreciating them, they try to keep their looks more perfect like any young girl or boy would do,,,,but thinking of death and go in depression is something which is not true, as i already said, exceptions are always there. …
what if I tell you that I am also one of the victim of child abuse, I did hid my feelings from my mom and felt bad,,,,but i never thought of death…..I hid these things from my mom to many years, and at the age of 15 I revealed it,,,
Not only me,, almost all the girls have to pass this stage ,,,child abuse is a black spot and parents should tell their children about these things at the age of 6 and before,,,,because they must know what is happening with them and who is wrong and who is right,,,,,,,
I was not blessed but you and I can create awareness about this thing by posting the posiivity and not death…..becuz death is far away,,,,,,,,,,,I didnt think of it and no other girl of this tender age would think so,,,,they may feel bad,, disturbd and alone,,,,but not death!!
Hope I am not becoming agressive…..sorry, if said something wrong…
June 11th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
It is a well-written piece. Calling it a story would not be a justified because it is an issue not a story. I won’t call it an article either. It is an issue not an article. I questioned the entry for its imaginary status or reality because it lacks the ending. Now when we know it has been written on a real incidence, then it’d have been better to complete it. What happened to that culprit? Did Aashu get back to her normal state? Did she get to realize he is safe with her father?
It is NOT easy at all to forget the black pages of life, especially when they play with the delicacy of childhood. But to get these little victims lead a normal life, masking those black pages becomes a need. And this is where parents can be the safegaurd of their children.
This write-up is lacking something. The state, the stand, the issue has been presented with a mature writing touch. But it is incomplete because issue is child abuse and Aashu is one of the victims. The writer must be able to understand what I mean to say and what is lacking. The post required few more words for Aashu that could make her way to a normal and healthy life.
I wish she is fine now and know who’s who.
Would say once again, Well-presented stand!
June 11th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
@ everyone… i’m really sorry.. i really burst out in the comment book… shouldn’t have done that…
@lekhshmi
this is not a failure… can u understand how many heads u got thinking? i can personally guarantee u about khush, ajit and myself… child abuse unfortunately has been talked about under covers till date… a third person can write, but u know, unless you’ve gone through the trauma… and i think u got my point..
June 11th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
that was not criticism and definitely was not a judgement.
It’s just that a common man wudn’t be well convinced with some points in your post n i represented a common man n asked some Q’s…
I am really sorry to say that i’m dissapointed the way you over-reacted n moreover this is not the kind of attitude ny1′d expect especially from a journalist.
sorry for everything on evry1 behalf.
I’d rather beg all not to comment on ur post as no1z up to the levels…coz no1z aware of the home-work u did on the same n especially no1z aware that you were a journalist… all the comments were from some poor guys who are ignorant by nature…who just wanted some clarification.
June 11th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
yes….i did..
makes me stronger about what i want to do…
thank you sudhs
June 11th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
@ajith
r u short tempered?
Ajith, i am a student, a journalist and a normal human..
i was hurt when i read the comments and till i talked to sudhs…i was in tears..
i did not rite anything to agitate you..
it hurts when you are judged on an article you wrote..
I did not mean anything the way you took it..
And am very soory if i made you furious..
I wanted all to read it and talk about it, doesnt matter if my post is jus average..
but you got to temme as to why it is so..
sudhs explained that to me…and now i know.
Ajith…you should have told the same ….
You shouldnt be angry…
June 11th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
am sorry…i saw exaclty what you meant in the first post…
June 11th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
@admin
I couldnt tell it in the article..
but yes…AASHU( d person) is well and happy now..a student…counselled for three years…
who got back to a life bravely…
and I LOVE HER….
June 11th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
short tempered?? angry?? my foot…
i jus telya onething…
If you are brave and matured enuf to deal with this kinda issues… you shud n must really be strong n composed enuf to defend urself n give explanation to the comments…
Forget abt explanation… you started bursting n over-reacting…now temme whoz short tempered???
huh!!! i wonder how wud it’ve been if i started criticizing…
June 11th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
maybe i wasnt that brave sometime back…
and yes..i am very sensitive…not short tempered..
you can criticize as you want to….
it will help me learn things..exactly as i learnt from sudhs and khush about how to write better and not in a crude way..
This is my FIRST article on social issue..
June 11th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
n i did not OVER react….pls..dnt judge me….i siad i was hurt…i burst out.yes..
i did not OVER REACT..
June 11th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
@ Ajit
Please be polite in comments. You are free to comment or critic any piece of writing here. Your frank comments are admired. Negative as well as positive comments MUST be faced by authors for their entries as long as long as they are not too offensive. Be polite in your word usage/discussions. You can argue but not fight.
@ Lekshmi
We’re happy to see you defending your stand Lekshmi but you must be able to clarify and justify the comments and critics being calm and without being over-reactive.
You’d be considered strong at your points only if you are able to calm your critics down with your clarifications. If they’re getting hyper with your clarifications, find something more solid yet positive and polite. If the fire is still going higher, then prefer stay quiet on that particular point.
@ All
We expect all of you to be neutral and individual. Don’t support anybody rather support your views. Please friendly and constructive in discussions. Please note, a constructive discussion can have negative as well as positive views but not harsh and offensive.
Don’t favor the individual but the views.
Thanks
June 11th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
huh!!! now, i wonder whether diz a platform for learning or a compitition!?!
u can perhaps learn from the compitition but not learning n implementing in d compitition okie!!!
sensitie??? den lemme telya sometin honestly…you are not eligible to be a journalist…
u may’ve to encounter wid loda miscreants like me dear…gotta be strong…
signing of on a hope dat i was rude enuf to atleast make a girl understand me…
June 11th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
@admin
Yes,,i burst out..but thats passe..
i hv learnt things…:)
@ajit
Yes, i presented it in a crude manner and maybe even insufficiently..
but it did bring out the topic of good riting aand handlin of sensitive issues and i learnt and many who read this will learn too..:)
Thank you…
June 11th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
@AJITH
you shud stop judgin me..and i will be a journalist even if you do not think so.
thank you…
June 11th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Hello everyone… my last comment in this post really…!!
i know we are defending our views.. but when our views match, it’s each other’s, even then we support..!!! personally i think ajit broke out only coz lekhshmi said that she’s a journalist and this sort of attitude is not expected of ant participant in a healthy competition, least from someone who’s a journalist. The admin will be pleased to know that the issue is resolved… we wrap this up once and for all… at least ajit n i do.. ajit will stick to his last post i believe
cheers!!
June 11th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
@ admin
This post is undoubtdly a well written and a good post. And I liked it initially, but when debate started I realised the point what sudeshana has mentioned… I read this post earlier and liked it because I did not want to conpare this post to myself or anyone else,,,,,but when I read this post again I realised what it mean to me,,,,,,,,,
anyways,,,,,I dn’t hav problem with anyone, just said what I felt,,,,,,and I can and will discuss it further,,,,bcuz it is not the question of death and post and writing skills,,, it is the question of a girl’s respect and her mental and physical assults,,,taht includes me …..
thnkx…
June 12th, 2008 at 3:36 am
Lekshmi
You do not know what you have done !
Now dont cry( i heard you cried yesterday)
You have been sucesful in doing exactly what you always tell that these online forum should do( no matter even if its a competition)…
I read all the comments and now that i Think of the way you spoke yesterday about how you hurt the sentiments of some…I understand but hey.you shudnt be ashamed..You have started it off, now many will read this article and start thinking about the issue seriously…
As a normal reader i have to tell you that putting forth this type of writing far better than preaching or writing facts..
This article is innocent like a bud..
There is nothing as to ‘how an article should be written and how it shudnt be’..
But if you wish to bliev you could have made it better…you can speak it out here and many writers will learn as to how to write article on social issues…touchy issue..
I am proud of you…you are a sensitive girl and you writing is plain innocence…
ROCK!
June 12th, 2008 at 3:44 am
Thank you!
GOOD MORNING to all ! its a new day..
I am out of my blues from yest and i feel refreshed..
Yest was a day of learning for me..it was
But as Rahul said, there is no way of writing an article..It is the author’s decision…
But, i learnt how to handle issue like this yest…I have leanrt how to rite such article without hurtin other’s sentiments..
BUt am NOT SORRY anymore for ritn this..
If people would notice…I almost started off a debate here..exactly as sudeshna said, this is not a failure, it has made ppl think..
This is what every forum should do..
An article is takd about wen it good or revoltin..mine is both…:)
This comment space could as well act as a forum to discuss the whole issue and also on the way to write it better…
The sun is shining bright and I am happy…
I hope the dicussions go on….
thank you
June 12th, 2008 at 3:57 am
leks is my friend but whatever i am goin to write has nothing to do with our friendship…
Aashu is ‘me’..and leks wrote it coz i wanted her to to write it…I have not revealed my name not coz ashamed coz i had promised smone that i wont..
I read this article first even before it got posted here..i was struck by the words, she had brout my childhood infront of me again…
But there was so much INNOCENCE in those words that i cried….
Leks had ritten it like a child…
I read various comments by others here and i hv to tell one thing..
Leks may be everything but ignorant…:) i know those matters have been resolved and i wont rake it up again.
Leks lives her dream to bring a change no matter how small it is in every human’s life whom she knows.
She is just 20 but she is so sensitive about such things that she rebels everywhere she goes for the change…
Lekshmi Nair, I am proud of you for all that you are doing..You may or may not win this competition but you have helped smone smwr think…
you hv did it!
I will not be posting any comment here again..Leks had asked me to stay away but i just had to come and do this bit…
For all the people who want to know what hapnd to AASHU.
She is now a college student, she loves both her mama, papa and bozo is no more…
and she attained all this after three years of counselling in which she dint go to school for one whole year…
it was terrible but people like leks let me live with the thought that there is a lot of hope..
Thru this article, thru this forum and thru whatever she does in REAL LIFE …
jus go on…
June 12th, 2008 at 4:00 am
Thank you…
June 12th, 2008 at 4:02 am
Well to be frank it is an excellent article really moving. But lekshmi I have never seen you use big words you know. You need to include in more vocabulary if you don’t mind me saying. ok maybe my exam answer papers are different but it is not the same when it comes to a short story. But I guess this is what is internet writing. Simple but effective. I really loved it. I didn’t find it horrifying or shocking (cause I guess am used to this topic by now with all the lectures and stuff) but certainly sad and moving. I rated you 5 anyway. Much love.
June 12th, 2008 at 4:06 am
thank you ms novelist
June 12th, 2008 at 6:17 am
hey leksmi… must say its very well written.. witout goin into the facts of whether a 6 yr old can think 2 die n the rest… d way it z written z wat makes it out stand out… No! it din shock me… it moved me, touched my hrt…
Way 2 go leks
June 12th, 2008 at 7:07 am
anju… really wel wrutten article….. watever u do, ppl wil always be there to criticize u… al i can say is don take it to heart… come on… be brave…. u kno wat? u should b happy abt smthng… u ve brought into lime- lite one of the many thousand cases of child abuse…. it shows tat u care… and who said journalists cant be sensitive? a journalist always writes from his mind… bt there always should and wil b a time wen he writes from his heart…. tis is one of tat times…. and ppl who stil ve not understood the crux of the story, and choose to critiscise it, tis is for them: the least u can do is to agree wit her.. am nt sayin its compulsory… but guys…. stop bein so rude… thanks… and anju… am proud of u…
June 12th, 2008 at 7:08 am
and i rated five..
June 12th, 2008 at 7:38 am
@anu and sumi
Thank you sweethearts..:)
Anu, when you say it tuchd d heart, it brings tears to my eyes..:)
and sumi, i knew you wud be there for with me
June 12th, 2008 at 9:13 am
All the negatives that could be thought of this post and more have already been discussed i guess…
But, i extend my heartfelt wishes to Lekshmi.
You have done it well.
I think many have not understood as to what your point of writing was! And you have not bothered to expalin too.
You have not written this to be a story, you have written this to end it as a question.
a big one
you should explain this to people when they read this..
I know this because i know this style of writing..
It is not necessary ..all do..
all the best…keep writing on such issues…
June 12th, 2008 at 9:49 am
good job lakshmi. i think that u have succeded in putting forward the agony of an abused child,which people can’t read in newspapers.i really appreciate your writing.
June 12th, 2008 at 10:54 am
lekshmi
IS this a Real story?
As a journalist you should have pocessed good story writing skills. As a fact that ‘Child Abuse’ is a very sensitive issue, I request you to involve your self as the character and pen down the story. Iam sure that there will be few changes in your story.
As far as i know children of that age won’t hide anything of like physical pain. As we read newspapers we see a lot about child abuse and there it is always mentioned that the child have innocently complained to the parents about the physical pain. Iam sorry if iam being ignorant.
I liked one thing for sure, You took this opportunity of writting competition to
1.spread awareness about child abuse
2.let everyone know about the physical/mental pain of the child
I hope everyone take some repsonsibility and do some needy.
June 12th, 2008 at 11:01 am
hi anuba and deepika
Thank you:)
hi shyam
and your query would be answered in a comment by somebody who dint want to reveal her name…
you can read that
Thank you shyam for the comment
June 12th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Just one sentence!
Innocently effective…:)
Superb!
June 12th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Really appreciable! Well there are many facts about Child Abuse. The statistics on physical child abuse are alarming. It is estimated hundreds of thousands of children are physically abused each year by a parent or close relative. Thousands actually die as a result of the abuse. Whenever a child says he or she has been abused, it must be taken seriously and immediately evaluated.
June 12th, 2008 at 11:41 am
lekshmi i think you should give it a proper ending. No doubt article is good but something is missing.You could also add what those child display when they have been abused. How we could protect child abuse…
June 12th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
hmm…good
June 12th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Very sensitive indeed..!!
Dear Topic creator i know it hurts , child abuse is a issue which can raise any1s temper with ease ..it is very brutal ..as soon as we here such case questns quiver in our minds
how can some1 b so cruel?
Why to harass a child who dont even knows wht he/she is going through?
but atlast we all try and forget such things to relax our minds and continue with our normal daily lives.
Reason is what exactly can we do?We being common ppl cant stop crimes?can we?
unless something is realy goin on in front of ur eyes.
u being a journalist and kinda social worker get to know such ppl and share time with them..and it ws realy vry motivating of u to share ur feelings with evry1.
but it is not gonna effect convicts , they still roam around freely without any actual fear and such cases r increasing day by day.
ALAS!
it realy hurts to hear all this am realy out of words now:)
just a questn strikes my mind everytime i hear any such news:-
WHAT TO DO?:O
bt in d end a lovely effort i read almost each and evry post criticism wasnt realy needed thou bt ppl do have diffrnt point of views and it was intrsting to know diffrnt aspects about a topic.
KUDOS
Hope that u’ll keep up the good work:)
June 12th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
i’d def lyk 2 appreciate u comin up wid such a wrk atleast sum1’s comin forward
really gr8, awl d vry best
i’d lyk 2 rate dis 5 on 5
June 12th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Hello to all
This is really changing into A FORUM for the discussion of this horrendous crime…Exactly what i wished for..
Thank you to all who liked the piece..:)
@anki
Yes , i could have made it better by adding even more poinst of the trauma and the conclusion of a good end to all horendous happenings..
But will people have spoken anything about this issue at all , if i had done that???
I do not think so , they wud hv just said it is a good piece and moved on…
I did not leave the article incomplete knowingly, but now that it lacks something, people have started discussing the very ISSUE here…and this is something i wanted…
@RAHUl
you are a person who has started the discussion aptly..thank you for that
DEMONS will always exist, its upto us humans to stop them or reform them…
To protect saplings from getting trampled as well as taking care of children who face the trauma is our major priority…50% of all children face this somwr in their life and I SHALL TELL YOU ONE THING…
IF any child wud describe her trauma at that age,MAYBE it wud be like this…
thats why children are epitome of INNOCENCE…
and my piece is not ignorant..it is INNOCENT..
June 12th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
@RAHUL
something very important that i want to add.
its WE and oly WE who can stop all this…
by asking this Q. you have already started it offf…
i dont kno if my article brout rage but it is bringing Q.s, ideas and i hope soon there will be ACTIONS>..:)
June 12th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Hey leks…..nice article u have written … but dear i dont think a six year old wud think of dieing… yes this incident wud permanently scar her social outlook but make her think of death coz kidz of tat age dont really understand the concept of life and death……
btw talking about the write-up, well i think a lot more substance cud have been added to it towards the end…coz once u start talking about facts, u shud have given some more detailed facts and ended the article with a note that promised action in a definite way…
well tats wat i think about it…..
btw i’m totally impressed tat u took time out to right such a sensitive topic in a such a mature manner…well done
June 12th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Dear topic Creator
Its not about ur article:)
we do have alot of rage,wrath burning inside but we realy dunno where to show:O
i do feel helpless at times.I see alot bt can do nothing or may b something.But its not enuff
i knw every single effort counts bt for such issues few ppl r not gona b enuff.
“WE” is something realy very rare these days.
u wont get support of a single person if u cum up to sum noble cause nd tht sometimes may brk u ..ive faced it bt newaz as u rytly said “SOON THERE WILL B ACTION”
juss w8ing for tht time to come:)
Its True tht evry 1 wants to see a WORLD full of joy nd happiness nd no EVILS around bt it aint gona happen unless “WE” d ppl r nt gona come ova with IDEAS:)
althou am vry much disapointd with d NEWS CHANNELS nd NEWS PAPERS..the way they put up d news to US is vry pathetic.
I WISH i cud change something!!
June 12th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Thats The Serios issue to think on.We all are young guns of our country we should really think serioulsy about CHILD ABUSE nd should do proper works to stop it.
Actually we all are matured and are able to think what is right nd wat is wrong so we have to decide what we will do to stop this.
Thanxx..!!
June 12th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
@harsh
yes, i guess thats the lacking and the strength of the article..The incomplete feeling..
jus luk around and we will see that such issues are REALLY incomplete…many cases are left unsolved and unsaid…That is exactly what we shud think about..
THE END OF SUCH CRIMES..
@GEEt
Well said, young guns need to take the initiative and show that “WE CARE”..
@RAHUl
you can call me leks instead of TOPIC CREATOR..
I agree that today media is almost becoming a business, news from page 3 finds more importance than social causes…
Media was once a SOCIAL insti…but today it is changin tracks…it is bcmin powerful day by day yet smwr it is losing its CAUSE…
“we shall not wait for a change, we shall start it..:)
you know RAHUl, GEET, HARSh, shyam,sumi,anu,sudhs,ajith,khus,anik,vini,revthi and so many more..
WE all have actually started one…
I shall share here something that i learnt myself yest
Issues of child abuse shud be handled very delicately…because it is very touchy, it hurts a child and the adult alike.
My article did hurt some but its good to see that it has made many think…
“Our aim shud be to eradicate the whole evil which is licking away childhoods like a termite.”
We shud care for the child who faces this trauma and this all will start if we all join together for the movement to do this..
As RAHUL said, the word ‘WE’ is so scarce today..
but, i am sure, there is a lot of hope there..
we are the HOPE…
June 12th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
well what to say …..sumtimes we cant understand wat is happening around us till.. it not happen to us.
yes it is painful for that children and also to their family but wat we do ,discussing it thinking it for few hours or less,and go back to our busy life bcoz it is not happen to us ..but it is the right way.?.well ans is not simple but one thing is most imp that we have to awake for every child,women or victim bcoz it can happen to us or our family .we have to face truth and awake ourselves bcoz world is frm us and if we do something then world will change Hope for the best!!!
June 12th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
well i hope sumewhere like this topic creater sum people really want to do sumthing i only wanna say to all people starting is important no matter small or big we must support this
June 12th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Hey leks,
Must say its a well written article. In short you have explained the trauma the child faces. The lines “Mummy had told her on her 5th birthday that GOD hurts only those who have sinned in this world.So, that meant she had sinned and that’s why uncle hurt her!” clearly explains the innocence the child still has and the reasons why she hides it from her parents. The re-phrased version of the rhyme is very emotive! It’s really beautiful and very touching. Many of them now a days are not aware of the fast spreading ‘child sexual abuse’, I hope this article will help at least in the writers circle
*hats off*
June 12th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Leks
rytly said deary we havto start and we cant wait coz once n fr all any1 has to take initiative:)
bt d bard is how to lead nd how to initiate things as we being non-media ppl realy dont know what to do?
it may sound funny im saying this again n again i dont know how to take STEPS against such issues?
what exactly can we do?
mailing to news channels etc. wont b helping at all cause i knw they wont b showing all this..nd even if they bring it up they’ll serve d news to earn TRP’s by adding xtra MASALA nd tht realy hurts me atleast!!
thn how shud we start?just thinking bout it is not enuff..coz we all think bout it as we know whats happning around us none of us here is illiterate or unaware:)
June 12th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
PAGE 3 was a movie in which u can see a glimpse of child abuse as well,
nd thts d time i realy hav strtd thinking bout this issue how unhuman r those who do such things.
Real curse to our society .. such ppl dont even stand a place among us.!!
June 12th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Ironical rahul
i jus tht of page 3…yest..i saw d movie at 2 in d nite again n felt it so outrageous…
rahul…one way is citizen journalism…
The best way for non-media ppl…n i ASSURE u, its is unadulterated till now…ppl can do ALOT thru tat..
@sanju.
well said, any step is big…nothin is small.this is our fuel
@C.R. thank you honey..i knew the ryhme wud tuch hearts…rest i wasnt sure abt..
thank you
June 12th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
citizen journalism?
no idea:O
nd bout d movie PAGE 3 it realy elightens lotsa social evil issues which r so common yet hidden nd also u can see how much a journalist suffers whn she tries to revolt:O
its realy not an easy task bt somehow we havto do something!!
June 12th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
@rahul..
true, not js a journo..all rebels have to face ALOT wen dey do so..
CITIZEN JOURNALISM is smthng wich started in the west and now we have it in INDIA.
CNN-IBN and i guess not NDTV too gives a chance to citizen journalists…
you can present you news or find a news or a social issue and speak out to the world thru the channel..You have to just call them and if ur story is convincing, they will come over to the place from where you want to report the news, the cause or issue and assist you with camera and other things..
I can tell you more abt it if u r interested
its very effective…
one can also volunteer with NGOs( good ones) …i have personally experienced that it really helps..
June 12th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Leks
well thanx fr d info i wud ave realy loved to know more bout it but i dont have any such news.
I will contact u in future if i get such news or i can suggest ppl related to NGO’s in my netwrk about CITIZEN JOURNALISM:)
thts what i can realy do..nd wil do it soon in a day or two as i know ppl who wrk in child help lines they pick up childrens from RLWY STATIONS who r addictd to diffrnt kinds of drugs nd there r childrens in such help lines who suffer CHILD ABUSE:|
June 13th, 2008 at 12:38 am
First of all, I am sorry for being anonymous because I am going to share some of the personal experiences. I read the article and also read some of the comments. I think people have said enough already. Nice work, however I do not agree some of things and the approach you have taken here to address this topic of child abuse or I would rather call it child-sexual-abuse.
I saw an issue explained here but no solution offered for this issue. I know you have talked about “Child Rights”, however the root of this issues is hidden inside of our families. Children, especialy girl-child is always a victim of such abuse some or other way and most of the parent do not provide protection or the awareness to their children to avoid such situations. Here I am talking about specially Indian parents as talking about sex in India is considered so ho ho thing. For example, your own story states the same fact. As Aashu is so scared of telling her own parents because she needs to proivde a proof!!! If children can’t explain such things to their parents then who is there for them. We need to encourage our kids to open up and talk about what happens with them. Moreover, it is parent’s duty to see if their child is being behaving different lately and why?
I also didn’t like the statement that “God hurt only those who have sinned in this world”. How would a child of age five understand such thing and even if he/she does understand or remember it, he/she would interpret it in own way as Aashu did and kept feeling guilty about herself rather than speaking out. This is a problem with our society that we just state things to our kids and don’t even explain them why.
I have noticed not only physical abuse but also psychological torture here on a child. However, i do not agree that a child of this age would even think about death. Here I would give my own example. I have been a victim of child abuse as well and I have more mental scars than any kind of physical scars. Most frustrating thing I felt during all these years that I could never talk about this to anyone except first time here. I never thought of dying, even after going through such a painful period. Neither did i hate my father because another male tried to molest me. Children do understand the concept of hate and anger, but not death. Based on my own experience I think most important thing for a child in such situation is open communication with parents. Tell your child about avoiding such situation, by saying no to touching other than parents and giving them that comfort zone where they can express whatever they feel and go through. Mainly, it should be same for male or female child.
Having no story of Aashu is not a solution. I think it is not a story, it is her life. Only part which should be missing is her painful experience. And this is happening not just with this age but with the women of all ages, but they have to keep mum because no one is there to listen to them and understand their pain.
Begining should be from our own families, to start protecting our children, boy or girl, and educating them.
I really, appreciate that you have come forward to write on such a sensitive issue. However, it is neccessary to offer solutions if you start talking about any issue. Otherwise people read it, praise or comment and move on. You need to give your audience something that they remember it and apply in their own life. Thanks
June 13th, 2008 at 4:13 am
This not perfect writing…:)
but i am impressed…true to the word, as the person above sites, there needs to be a ’solution’.
you are a sensitive writer as i can see, you cud hv added that
but, i am happy you took this chance to write on this cause and not any run of the mill issue..
you can leave comments on your view of solution…that will help the readers. as i can see the whole area is brewing into discussion.
cheers to you and your attempt!
let us find the solution.- in all.it is really impressive..
June 13th, 2008 at 6:22 am
well…solution is only dat we change our thinking as bcoz sum of us always see the victim in such cases as guilty.We have to chnage the thinking of society so that the victim dosent feel themselves guilty and share their problems
June 13th, 2008 at 6:53 am
brilliant!
June 13th, 2008 at 7:54 am
child abuse is a very sensitive issue.everyone knows about it and disscussions like this happens everyday and everywhere.but child abuse should be stoped.for this we should not talk about the laws and other external things.the root cause comes from internal reasons.
by this i mean our home,our parents,families and society.in india girls are still seen as object of entertainment.men dont respect women.eve teasing,hooting,staring,physical abuse after marrige by the in-laws or husband.
if a child has seen all these thngs in his childhood,he will either start protesting it or start supporting it.in most of the cases the later happens.so moral values are lost in the childhood itself.
if from the begining only,children are tought to respect girls/women,such cases will be reduced.
mu comment wasnt only for the child abuse but it includes girl abuse in every way as all the abuses on gilrs,child,women,wifes are interlinked.
June 13th, 2008 at 8:33 am
hey leks…really well written.
The way u have brought out this issue is reaaly nice.
it kind of gave me goosebums after reading it.
Itz nt like tht v havent read articles like thz b4.
but,d way u have explained it makes all tht diff.
it really touched my heart..
June 13th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Thanks prii
@ushi
you have touched another raw nerve..
the case is not just about CHILD ABUSE at all..it is also of the various other issues which children, both boys and girls have to face..
not jus that , i guess almost 99 percent of all women in India( by woman,lets say a girl right from pre puberty stage to middle aged ones) all have atleast once been questioned on their modesty..
by any way.
by being stared at awkwardly!
by leering and being commented at!
by being groped at in buses or any way!
by being touched unusually!
by being tortured mentally!
these are just some issues.
and in CHILD ABUSE>.
the victim is tortured more than all this..
first coz , d bud is so tender that d kid may not even say to others as to wat hap..
second, coz they are dead scared..
if we start takin abt solution..
i wud say that kids shud be EDUCATED evn wen dy r real small.
SEX education is a must! it shudnt a taboo.
parent shudnt shy frm telin anythng to d kids…it cud save dre life.
the parent kid relation if real close and understandin..so much cud be prevented.
we shud think of prevention here more than the punishment or post crime action
June 13th, 2008 at 11:38 am
This is very well written and i should tell Ms.Lekshmi that you are changing this contest into something even better
You are almost like a moderator and the whole article and comments a discussion
way to go!
June 13th, 2008 at 11:44 am
June 13th, 2008 at 11:51 am
The problem is shown in a very simple and sort of pure manner.
there is no ending, it is a question mark..
i feel the pain and i guess i will the rage too.
you touched my heart.
good luck.
June 13th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Dont go hay-way.
Topic is CHILD ABUSE and we know tht girls r not tht well treated but plz dont make it girl abuse , in child help lines now days u’ll see alot of young boys whove suffrd frm child abuse:|
i dont know about the exact % or anything but i know 1 thing kids r harassed whtehr it be a boy or a girl .. a DEVIL shows no mercy on d basis od SEX its equally brutal to both f em.
nd talking bout SOLUTIONS
I DONT SEE ANY SOTUTION
Convict shud b hanged or shot dead for such crime d more merciless we’ll be to em d more threatnd they’ll feel.
And am damn sure once such laws come into action CHILD ABUSE wil definitely start decrementing:)
Criminals will think 1ce or 2ice or 3rice or may b manier times b4 doing such merciless act.
June 13th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
To be straight from my heart, even before going through the comments you got, you could have done a better job dear. the headline, the lead in, the example everything went were excellent [which made me to look forward and be keen on ur article]except for the conclusion [which totally pulled me down!]. i am telling about the conclusion to the article and not a perspective based solution to it!!!
As a friend who know you for the past three years, to be more specific, as a person who has gone through your works, this piece needs improvement in ways of more content. i can understand that you have provided the story of Aashu to show the plight of a small child who undergoes both mental and physical trauma due to abuse; but this example has covered most of your 700 words and therefore made the article look more like a fiction piece rather than a serious article. you could have provided a broader view of the situation rather than narrowing it down to a single soul.
now talking with journalistic skills, i think the article has all the elements to be rated as a good one. for example, the lead in was perfect. it threw light on the sad state of the situation. the headline as well was perfect. it was nor too dramatic neither too serious. it was apt!
now after looking at the comments u got i think i shd also share some stuff regarding the views u got. i have attended few seminars on child sexual abuse. from what i heard children, especially a 6 yr old, does not tell that she is been abused or anything like that. this is because primarily they cnat express what has happened to them and generally they are threated by the abuser. once a child is exposed to such abuse she/he do express in the way lekshmi has pointed out. for more information u can check out the website of an organisation called Tulir. they work against child sexual abuse and their website is very informative regarding this.
now about rating this article… hmmmm… i am giving a 4.08.. i know you can do a wonderful [great]job, even u know it… becuase after reading ur article i couldnt relate it to ur previous ones…!!
any way lex altogether it was a good one!! cheers…!!
June 13th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
if we all could just uproot this EVIl for once and forever!
i wish we could…sometimes i feel so helpless in this world, article or no article…why cant we do something?
am raising this Q.
we can…right? there is so much hope..i see it here..
June 13th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
To DHIV
i accept all ur suggestions as i know u r one of the ppl who know me BEST..
yes, the conclusion is something all want me to have been btr in
yes, i could have made it a solution but as i told time and again, this very flaw has made ppl think SO MUCH and talk about it
June 13th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
its easy to express views in a forum like this..!! but when it comes to real life situation 50% goes unnoticed, 30% goes unheard, the rest 20% is covered by the media which makes it more shameful for us….!!
people can talk about this, but to be more practicla a solution on a braod base is not impossible…!! atleast not seen in the foreseeable future…!!
June 13th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
@RAHUL
good to see you again..(really)
Surajit shud hv commented here, we would have got a lawyer’s perspective too
he told me officially reported cases are 28% of the total population but actually 50% got thru the trauma…
and i personally know that INDIAN CONSTITUION doesnt have many laws to protect children except ‘naturally’ abused children.
many children who are abused yet the term ’sexual abuse’ isnt used for the same because the abuse cant be defined as per law..
there are abundant cases to prove this.
Even the consti needs a revamp..so many laws evn though amended are still frm d time of british rule.
June 13th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
@dhiv.
there will be a change..
today wnt YOU help prevent this crime?
wont the 30 ppl who commented here do the same?
this is change…nothing is small..
June 13th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
i’ll give u a small example for this….!! yest i was going in the bus… will tell u frankly in 23c… i guy was hitting me for a long time… i got so pissed off… i asked him to move a little… he understood it in a different way and moved a little more closer to me… i started shouting… and u know wat… evryone was staring at me but none raised a voice for me… and the conductor asked me to move away from him and stand but did nothing to that guy…!!!!
this is reality…!! the REAL REALITY!!! the only solution i had is to get down in the next stop with shivering legs and to take an auto and reach home… i am 20 yrs old and am not able to do something against an abuse like this…!! wat will and can a child do?????? or wat will this society do??????? nothing but talk and give opinions…!!!!!!!!!!
June 13th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
@dhiv
yes, it gives opinions and comments..true..but do u think ALL DO SO?
think of it, we students atleast some of us, havnt we been tryin to fight against so much?
First and foremost, we all are thinkin that all hope is lost and nothing can be done…
but why so?
we are humans, we have niece, nephews and friends..
we shall take care of them. thats d first step..
ALL GUD WORK STARTS FROM HOME BUT SHUDNT END DRe..
its after this that we move forward..
now that you urself have told that when even an adult has probs defyin such horrible acts.
wont we give more attention to children?
its nt just d duty of the parents.
its for ALL OF US to do..
June 13th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Same here leks.
Well bout d percentage of cases being registerd nd d percantage which actualy happens wil alwaz differ.
And usually WE ppl knw tht they cant show exact figure on ppr its infact shameful and embarassing for our govt. as well.
They havto submit such reports to UNO i gues?
Most of cases r dealt unoficially.
AS we know tht mostly children frm POOR bakgorund suffer ..and they cant even complain infact there is no hearing for them.
POLICE juss avoids such cases unless they r being forced to launch complaints.
Its really embarassing even for us being CITIZEN of our so calld DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY.
June 13th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Divhya
U cant comment like that
I know ppl today are selfish and mean they dont realy care bout whats happning around thm evry1 wants help and consolidation when he/she needs it.
Else no1 gives a damn bout it.
But some1 has to come up , if something happnd with u tht doesnt means tht u shud stay bak now and do nothing if something like tht happens with some1 around u
Uve just protraid 1 side of it there is alwaz an other side to a event.
June 13th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
@RAHUL..
a correction dear…
children from poor and rich background suffer equally!
children are children after all.. to the eyes of these hungry horrible demons..
but yes, some cases in poor families arent taken care off, that may happen.maybe coz rich kids have btr security?
BUT STIL..as far as i kno..RICH OR POOR< they suffer equally..
June 13th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
I do agree with… its our duty… but it work out… its something like ‘directive principle of state policy’ i.e a few statements given by the govt to the states just for the sake of giving knowing that they wont follow them..!! when ppl in our country are prepared break rules, what can we do with simple duites.
But I agree with u in the way that everything starts at home. even Kanadasan has said ‘Thirudanai parthu thirunthavital thirutai ozhika mudiyathu’ which simply means thief has to decide to stop stealing until then theft cant be stopped…!!
lets hope we can see a new light in the future… lets hope our furture generation have a better to society to live in… lets hope ppl who have commented here think from their heart and stop not just with commenting here but do in reality of whatever they have said….!! Cheers….!!
June 13th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
@dhiv..
you know what
you are strong enuf to change things atleast as an individual..
thats how we start
cheeeeers
June 13th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
@Leks
By d term ‘Suffer’ I mean that the d chilren from POOR bakground r engrossed in such acts to a higher nmbr i.e, more children frm poor bakground r involved in such acts
u wont see much cases reported from chilren havin a rich bakground or actualy those r d cases we come to knw as they bcum news and r shown on newspapers,news channels etc.
Coz as i alrdy said there is no hearing fr POOR bakground kids they juss stay mute no mattr wht happens to them
June 13th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
@rahul
engrossed? i think u mean victimized.
YES.it can be so..
but we dont know for sure.
and u know what the biggest prob is?
* children may never tell dre mama-papa as to wat hapnd!
* even if dey do, sm ppl jus hush it up…i kno it may be hard to face the post trauma, but even the child needs JUSTICE and a devil on loose means many more victims..
IF OLY all wud think of justice…
or btr, if oly ALL wud think of being pure and good…
dre wud be no demons..
June 13th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
yeah victimised is d ryt word.
Well its diffclt to say whether a child wil approach his/her parents in such conditions r not.
It depends on under wht kinda atmosphere d child has been brought up.
Nature of d child and many more things.
But u cant picturize a WORLD with no DEVILS around.
its next to impossible
DEVIL wil alwaz b there WE just need to PUNISH them and show NO MERCY at all thats d only way we can teach them a lesson
June 13th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
@yes..punish after d crime.
if possible, jus PREVENT d crime…
June 13th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
U can PREVENT only when u see something happening in front of ur eyes.
Which is a rare case coz such crimes r alwaz done in hidden way
June 13th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
but when the hidden crime comes out still what do we do….? maybe discuss about it max..! rules, punishments, law, justice, mercy etc does not happen… by the time it happens the issue becomes a part of the history…!! as long as we are conscious about our surroundings ie our family, our friends, our people we can try and prevent such happenings to an extent… if we hope for the society as a whole to wake up abt the issue, i dont think that will ever happen…!!
June 13th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
And Rahul,
i am not potraying one side of the story..!! and the other side of the event is always buried under the dust..!! am not commenting more on this coz that wud be out of subject..!! but i assure u ppl never open up even though they see stuff happening in front of their eyes..!!
June 13th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
This is a lovely piece of writing.
I can see people with different perspectives debating here to find a solution..
its is commendable..
i am happy for lekshmi taking this effort.
I hope by the end of the contest, i can see a real good solution.
all the best leks! keep going.
June 13th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
@ALL who are postin there comments here..
One thing we all need to be sure of..- we all CARE…not just to talk but also to think…
i did a very small task, jus write…but u did btr..u thought…dsnt matter as to who started it
One thing i want to tell ALL.
Children are so innocent, i think its my weakness for them that i wrote so specifically on this issue.
I have spent time with kids in orphanages and seen some kids being counselled for certain causes..
I want to tell here…they are the very epitome of love and forgiveness..
u know? some children dont even think of hurting the ones who hurt them..not just sexual abuse..child abuse happens in many other ways too..
even child labor is an abuse..though we dont think so…
90 percent of child laborers are abused by the employers either physically,mentally or sexually..
WE shud understand that i have potrayed jus CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE..
there are many more types of CHILD ABUSE…
June 13th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
jus to tell all..
Yest 12th OF JUNE was child labor day…
irony…
June 13th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Hii Leks
Good Job dear.. Um quite impressed wd ur work.. want 2 read more of Ur work
cheers
June 13th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
hi lek,
i think child abuse is one of the most serious problem,ur ariticle is really good,and basically its drive our attention on the consequence and the problem faced by these children,ithink we all have to understand this and do whatever we can do on our level to save these beautiful flowers,
its good to see u that u have started this way,we all friend are with u,and we will or should do to bring awareness in mass to understand the important of well bieng of these god best creature.
June 13th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
a coincidence that my name is the protagonist’s name..
But by the grace of all i was spared of all that the child sufferd from..
The writer has done a good job and i read the comments, whatever was missing has been complemented thru the comment box..
I too hope lekshmi, you will end all this with a good conclusion on everything that was spoken off..
i give you five on five..
go on.!
June 13th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
hey aashu
i ran and came to chek as to who the AASHu was who had commented on my post
and yes, i will do full justification to the post when i have all the responses here…
I will try and finish off the article’s lacking points here.
June 13th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Divhya dear its not like that may b u havnt seen ppl who do protest against d evil things happning around thm bt i hav
they r not much but they r some , and believe me it makes a diffrnc and thats d other side WE alwaz have a good and a bad perspective to a particular thing
@Leks
Very true kids in orphanages nd child help lines are the very epitomes os love and forgivness.
Even i hav visited child help lines and spent time with em..those kids r so very innocent that its even not possible to describe there innocnce in words.
They want to study but they cant they r not let to do so , they want to play but there childhood is snatched away frm em and in help lines when they juss given a chance to live der life they do njoi ive seen tht happiness on there face and whn they r counselled they cry if u see both sides of same kid believe me it gets vry diffclt to control ur emotions
See those kids they just njoi WRITING THERE NAMES ON SLATES .. as if thats d best thing they’ve eva done , degree of innocence is superlative here.
I mean its not tht diffclt to find an hour for such children.Evry1 must b having Child Help Lines near by there homes DO VISIT and spend sometime with em.Its realy worth it
It can b a start
June 13th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
hey laksmi.. dat was wonderful ! great work.. but certain sentences din’t jus make any sense(sorry if i was rude :-D)..
Aashu was sad and desperate at what was happening to her .But how can you say that she wanted to die.??..as mentioned in this sentence-’Aashu now wished only one thing – TO DIE!’.. You can’t expect a 6 or 7 year old girl to know anything about death.. at the same time, a girl of this age would definitely talk bout this 2 her parents ‘cos dats a 6 yr. old’s innocence.. she would definitely not be knowin what the hell shez undergoin.. only dat something wrong is happening with her.. ..
The rest everythin was wonderful.. and this a beautiful way in whoch you could present this issue.. Gud goin lakshmi.. KUDOS
June 14th, 2008 at 3:30 am
Hey gayu
yes, i know there are certain things which could have put forth in a better manner!
but hey all readers, this is in no way misleading.
and i want to stress that!
somewere a small child did undergo smthng like this..
i do not know for sure about all kids but maybe i was a hyper kid because in 2nd grade, i with my two frnds had a plan to kill ourslvs coz mama papa had scolded us
i swear that this fact is true..though that was very innocent and manipulated by all we saw around us..
i think when i could think that..
any 6 year old could do…
June 14th, 2008 at 3:32 am
@RAHUL
i think you have put up a brilliant thought there..:)
i really hope all would read this…
June 14th, 2008 at 4:56 am
This is a well crafted article.
It is well dealt with, with the appropriate emphasis on the seriousness of it…i liked the fact that you have given the perspective of the kid and at the same time one can find a third person talking. And then theres you who is talking. So there are three voices, conveying the different point of views of looking at the same issue!!! well done!!!
June 14th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Hey…
this is ironically damn movin…. feel bad for te child… and ye have a gr8 intensity (rather imagnation) in writing this…. Cheers!!
June 14th, 2008 at 10:54 am
hey… first, the issue u have taken up is very sensitive and thank god or not, we are in a position to say tat child abuse in bold is a topic tat is well discussed and well debated on.. in an elite situation. wen i say elite, i mean tat d ppl who r busy discussing it are in a high position who can actually do smthng for d cause. Like we know, tulir is hell bent on providing counselling session to d affected, but i dont know any other org tat is keen on PREVENTING such an ironical occurance. In a country where pre marital sex is a taboo and including sex ed in syllabus is a grouse against our culture, we need more aam janata coming to d forefront for d cause. lets not criticise ur writing for u have written with a cause in mind. lets concentrate more on providing a solution… and a solution cannot be thought of if u and i are sitting in front of comp and writing away to glory… as a journalist andas an individual, we al have responsibilities. lets start from now…
since CHILD ABUSE is not defined properly, i shall take d opportunity to put forward another cause… a kiddo,.. of 19 yr has topped iit entrance in AP. he has borrowed books frm a lending lib and is working to fill up his due amount. he now doesnt have money to come to IIT MADRAS for his entrance… he promises to pay us al back after he is settled in life.. to top it al, his parents have no idea wat theirs son s done. they r jus happy he s made them proud. So… am sending this link… and try to sort out or ppl whioo read this post… do smthng fior this chap..
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080052137&ch=6/8/2008%2012:51:00%20PM
and for ur article… i feel tat if i rate this, i wil jus be doing it for d heck of it. i know u as a persona nd u know how i wil rate it… so… keep up d good work.
love
lux
June 14th, 2008 at 10:57 am
now lemme talk something about a solution which has been talked about so much but yet has not been properly implemented..
SEX EDUCATION !
if any parents are reading this:) i want you to understand the real meaning of this phrase and the work involved. I got to know it from various seminars and a practical session i myself attended..
it shudnt be a taboo anymore..
In sex education, there are various steps.
it starts with orientation for parents,then there are intensive workshops for teachers.
it is only after ALL THIS that the children are spoken to and that too in groups.
i also read it that the words ’sex’ or ‘abuse’ are never used, ‘personal safety’ is the phrase accounted for.
Children have strong instincts and true to this, they are taught about how to tell from a friendly pat to a ‘dirty’ touch.
so i guess this will give a small idea bout what is all the hype about sex education..
i have to tell one thing to all the parents who think that it is a taboo..
taboos are man made, if we need the safety of our child, we need to see what is sane and what is insane..
let go of all the prejudices and work for the betterment…:)
June 14th, 2008 at 11:15 am
@lak
I understand and thank you so much
@admin
Lak did not know that links shudnt be posted:) so i am sorry on her behalf…and as she told me that it has passed moderation…i guess it is fine..
jus wanted to clear it…:)
June 14th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Hey Anjali…
I din know dat u cud rite soooo wel…and argue for ur points better dan riting..
Well, a very good argumentative topic over all and I am surprised dat u r attracting so many readers at dis emerging stage as a journalist…dey say, success of a person is measured by d nos of critics he/she has..and u got hell lotta critics gal, and dis proves u r doing gr8..keep up d gud work..an always remember.. It is easier to be critical than correct….
I seriously donno wat to comment,. Cos in a country where one girl/woman is raped every 15 secs…where cops rape innocent women….where d nos of crimes emergin outta passion r scaling up drastically … where justice is not only blind, but also deaf, lame and
Atrocious, sexual abuse to children is jus another chapter…I personally believe dat, no matter how hard we try, no matter how wel justice is delivered…dis is crime gonna prevail…u, me and all des ppl who ve an insight effort to stop it, can only prevent or stop it to a CERTAIN EXTENT…bt on d other hand d journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step(I ve nt lost hope cmptly)….. I feel dat am in a very insecure environment, for d children who r victimized, for d innccent ppl in my country…
R V SEEIN A CHANGE GUYS????
On ur writin….dis is of course a good piece.. nicely written..
Bt sweets, nxt time u write, put in the xtra effort to convince dos critics..make dem feel wat u wanna rite cos as many of dem didn get d crux of it,,wat u wanted to convey…
Great going gal.. I RATE U 4.5 OUTTA 5 for dis article….keep me posted if u rite sum more of des..
June 14th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
@kiran.
@gunz
thanks abhi
June 14th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
well, maybe one day we all will reform the society of all these evils…
cheers to us
June 14th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
I guess article is now heading to a conclusion
well beautifuly lead by leks nice thoughts overall it ws realy gud to see how diffrnt ppl think bout a certain issue r i shud say a curse to our society and i hope by reading al this atleast few will get bit more avtive nd work around to show there care nd concern towards d children going thorugh certain condtns.
I visited d nearest child help line today actualy was thinking bout it frm past 2 weeks but this article realy made me do something but was not feeling like doin it but finaly i decided to go for it and am glad i met some more young kids today it was a gr8 experience once again
These kids who r suffering frm diffrnt kinda “CHILD ABUSE’s” juss need some time nd affection.
Making a child SMILE is realy a thing u wud love to do and u will trzr such moments freva
KUDOS to LEKS
Keep up the good Work EVEN SKY IS NOT THE LIMIT fr u dear
And ppl plz dont only read and comment DO SOMETHING
June 14th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Hey i jus came across the article… an ya tot it would be jus another blog.. but yea its somthin different.. the content was impeccable and the use of words were good… i think the topic is really the need of the hour for this society… i wonder how could u conceive such an idea an script it so soulfully… and i hope this should reach greater heights.. my heartfelt wishes for ur success
June 14th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
hey this is Lyndon’s friend….n yea he gave me thd link told me to read this article .. i too jus tought tht it would be some normal topic….. but the topic tht u hav chosen is really good.. n its put in a real gud way…
anyways keep it up…….
June 14th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
@lyn
Thank you
@reetu,
thanks to lyn who gave u d link and u for readin it..:)
June 14th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
I already wrote a comment, I don’t kno how it got ommited
Anyway, it is not hard to repeat : )
Leks, you will go a long way, you dream big and you are working hard : )
And to top it all, I find you humble and I guess innocent too, your usage of words shows.
Keep going leks…
June 14th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
@manasi
i myself cant see many of d comments…:)
thank you
June 14th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Where is the comment i posted> :-O
anyway, miss social reformer…
I guess you will continue talking about this topic on the new forum you have started smwr else
all the best…
June 14th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Great blog..good luck…
June 14th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
@varshe..
nice comment..ha ha
June 14th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
you talked well about the various other things related to child sexual abuse , just read in some comments…
i think , your comments gave a lot of info.
the article was touching and the info meaningful…
so alltogether this whole page is helpful..
good that i revisited the page and thus read all the comments.
best of luck..
June 14th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
I am happy that i could do ‘atleast’, this much…
and i am happy to say that my talks with them were amazing..:)
i takd to two parents who read this article
June 14th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
i cant see ALL MY COMMENTS which i had painstakingly written to explain about the abuse on a whole…about the ways of prevention , the abuser and the care to be given to children
i do not know what has happened..:O
June 14th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
There are some comments which i wrote and have been ommited( i dunno how).
this is the gist of them..
I had talked about the various ways ( very simple and practical ones) in which a child shud be told to act!
AVOID any lonley places.over frndly adults and ppl who touch them in a way they dont want to be..
RESIST as much as they can the advances of such an adult.
REPORT to dre parents as to whatever happens , any uncomfortable incident..
KID shud be taut all these by none other than their parents…the compassion and understanding between a parent and child can help us overcome a lot of this problem.
the mantra to teach kids-
#Avoid locations of higher risk-like lonely places
#Be confident and assertive in body language, pedophiles usually attack shy and vulnerable kids.
#Try and resist abuse by screaming and running away
#always tell trusted adults of attempted abuse or excessive friendliness ..
And above all..any abused child shud be given COMPLETE SUPPORT>.the last thing a child shud feel is that he/she is d one to blame…a child who has been abused has already undergone a lot of trauma..and has a scar…
NO, he/she shud neva feel that he was in any way responsible for him being hurt..
counselling is a MUST…no matter what the age of the child..
June 14th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
I do not know as to how more long any more ppl will come over to comment
but, i have made a lot of frnds here who alongh with me have started another forumto continue our work
hope to see you all there..
I am nt CLOSING anythng…
as long as the evil exists, we will fight..
first to prevent, then to protect and then to eradicate….we shall..
June 14th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
a five for the humane touch to the whole issue..
you have opened a box of ideas..
we shall implement them…sure…
June 14th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Thank you shradhha
June 14th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
even the recent comment of yours about d simple yet mandatory things to teach a child are really worthy..
you complemented the article..
the lacking of the article has been refurnished here…
good.
June 14th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
thums up leks
nowdays we cant expect you to write anythng but social issues
but we are proud of that…keep going
all have used up all the words which could be used to comment..so i just give u a THUMS UP
June 14th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Thank you deeps
June 14th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
I request ALL of u to not stop with just commenting or rating here..
my main aim to make ppl realise this horror on the face of earth ….sigh..
we usually do not give much importance to children being taut the things i told above, thinking that its no big deal.
but it is…it REALLY is..
i wish more parents wud read this..
that dsnt mean d child shud be kept away from all the adults who care for them..NO..it means that d parents or for that fact all shud keep their eyes and ears open and be always on the guard and ALERT..
let none ruin the innocence of a child anymore..
let nobody have to write an article like me again..
let this demon be slayed forever…
June 14th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
We will anjali..we will..we stand together..:)
CHEERS TO UR SPIRIT>>
June 15th, 2008 at 3:21 am
June 15th, 2008 at 3:24 am
yes, this time i visited the page i got much more things to talk about..
true, children shud be taught certaing things by parents..
BUT..children will be children..
as u said, guardians have a VERY big responsibility.. in this case…:)
June 15th, 2008 at 3:28 am
Not just parent, also teachers and other ppl who are directyly involved with the childre
kudos Ms.Lekshmi
i am a teacher and that too in a primary school, i simply loved your ideas and the simplicity in which you presented it…
You have made us feel touched rather than feeling angry…
no matter if you win or not, you have made all of us take decisions to protect our children..
June 15th, 2008 at 4:13 am
pretty touching,thought provoking and heart wrenching somewhere…
all the very best for your future articles…
June 15th, 2008 at 4:23 am
hey lekshmi…
can see that u really feel strongly bout the issue of child abuse…and think the post is v well-written coz its disturbing to read this.
read some responses about why would a child hide the pain - and I think its possible, not every child might open up about the pain, or some might have been put in a tight spot by the molestor. depends on the child.
but think you should have mentioned somewhere that boys and girls are victims of csa. A lot of poeple associate csa with the girl child, and this piece sort of doesn’t clarify anything about that.
Also, think that the piece is very very emotionally written, so to some readers, it might seems exaggerative and lose the impact. thats merely my opinion though.
its v obvious u feel strongly bout the issue n really nicely put
June 15th, 2008 at 4:28 am
gr8 article…….. m not qualified 2 rate it.
June 15th, 2008 at 4:41 am
I want to cry!!!! very touchin indeed.
lets do smthn abt it lowe… afterall we are journalists…
how abt a campaign? luks like u already have a good team. a simple rally or lets hit the nearest village n give em all a lil lesson….. what say? lets do it when we r here!
June 15th, 2008 at 5:08 am
I didnt know this much would happen over an article:)
@all.
as mentioned above..
over a discussion that hapnd jus now..
we are going to start a CAMPAIGN…it will take alot of things…but we have STaRTED>.already
cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeersss
a moment i waited for..
June 15th, 2008 at 7:12 am
You have already reached many ppl
Keep me in the list…:)
You dream big..dont you?
CAMPAIGN! …
June 15th, 2008 at 7:20 am
Now this is growing BIG!
What are you planning? DO elaborate here to anywhere where you can, you will surely find a lot of readers and ppl who will want to work..
Now this is what we call a ‘START”.
ppl who say that a single article cant do anything..:)
READ THIS>>
June 15th, 2008 at 7:31 am
but hey, even now its small..miles to go b4 we sleep..:)
we have started a small gang which will start as the core atleast till we plan the PR and rope in NGOs and i credible ppl like counsellors and NGOs
how much ever we can? we SHALL…
it may take a LONG TIME…but hey, for things to happen , there shud be a start…right??
its HERe…cheeeeeeeeers to AALL OF US
June 15th, 2008 at 7:37 am
I really dont know as to how successful i have been here in speaking about the issue..
But now when i read all the comments and think of the future, i stick to my words..-’there’s a lot of hope’
With due apologies for all the lacking in the material i posted and with a promise to improve and prove better next time..:)
June 15th, 2008 at 9:09 am
The article s really good,i dont have any words to comment cos all my comments are already given above.Beautiful article,can say its the eye opener to the issues that are happening in the present world….great u came forward with such an blog…
June 15th, 2008 at 9:24 am
because even though we know many things, either we dnt care or we just let it be..or we be careless…
need to change all that..:)
am small move towards tat..
June 15th, 2008 at 11:00 am
This is a damn good article…i will give you full marks.
1) u took this issue, no matter what people say, stil many do not write abt it.
2)it has been portrayed in a very soft manner, yet the seriousness creeps in at all places.
3) i think a child would associate with the way you have written, for sure..
4) you have not given any solutions in the article and thus people brainstormed,i see all emotions here in the comments -anger,pain,love,innocence,ideas and strong will.
5) when an article can do so much, why wudnt we like it?
cheeeeeers lekshmi!
June 15th, 2008 at 11:10 am
@shruthi
i did not have to think much for the topic but only the way of writing was a Q..:)
I guess, it wasnt a bad attempt but ofcourse will do much better next time…
“I believ that when one wants to do somthing, they just have to try and the whole universe will conspire to help them”
this statement is my close frnd’s best quote and i saw it in real today..
i really wish to do something in this context and i just took a small step and i have help and ideas pouring in from almost all corners that i can think of..
The feeling that you are passionate about something and others want to help you in that is great..
thank you shruthi..
June 15th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
@ALL
the contest ends here
but i am so very thankful to all who helped me out here…:)
now, i am ready for the very next step i considered…
a campaign against child abuse…
with all your support…it would be ….
lemme not fill that blank
thank you alll..lots of love..:)
June 16th, 2008 at 5:20 am
Nice article yo..
June 16th, 2008 at 7:01 am
hey sweetheart
m really v proud of u atleast u tuk sum initiative against this issue nd make ppl aware!
D best part is that u potrayed article such that its impact get maX.
by reading it ny1 cud felt d pain d lil aashu nd many other innocent small kids who don even know wat is happening wit em r dealing with.!
CHILD ABUSE,eve teasing,rapes etc these r such issues which hits person physically as well as psychologically.
nd d worst part is these r not getting controlled :X
nd even cant b until a common men strictly raise voice against it!
WATEVER IS UR PLAN FURTHER count me in there!we r wit u!
June 18th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Dude, Leks, I read your article and the comments that follow (Boy, was that a long read!) but here’s what I think. Yes, its a good issue, but for a journalism graduate like you, it’s a topic beaten to death. This write up however escapes that category because of the treatment that you have given it. It’s a good idea to have written like the child, but somewhere I got distracted in jumping between your narrative and the child’s views. One pointer- since this write-up is raising awareness, you could have had a woman for the perpetrator and not a guy as usual. That is one of the misconceptions that is common quite. But otherwise, I would ask you to keep the narrative simple and I am not convinced that a child of 5 or 6 would think of dieing. Seriously, the other symptoms of frustration, withdrawal and emotional vent of pain and anger is good but that line about the kid thinking of dieing ruined the story for me. Last thing: Your start in the story was a bit stereotypic for a journalist. I would have suggested that you dive directly into the plot and let the reader get the point of the write-up.