I had read about social evils and superstitions in India in my social studies. I always thought all of it was just for mugging and vomiting in the exams, and such thing no longer existed, and I never had an encounter with any such thing.
Born and brought up in a city, with modern amenities all around, with so-called intellectual people all around, I could not deny the truth of the fact that these social evils were a matter of the past. This misconception however lasted until I visited my village. I had been there when I was a child and at that time was not in a position to understand or judge the phenomena taking place around me.
After so many years, I felt fresh air, devoid of the city smoke, touch my face, the paddy was swaying in the fields, everything seemed so fascinating. Everything was new, there was no hustle and bustle of the city, I could even hear the chirping if the bird.
I settled down in my house. It was festival time, so everyone was busy in preparing delicacies. Some of my grandmother’s friends were sitting there chatting while they prepared the materials of the food. I just sat there with novel in my hand. It must have been after some time, when a girl about my age came. She sometimes ran some errands for the house, cleaning, and stuff. I was very much into the novel when one of the ladies sitting there asked me to pass the jug of water placed at about a meter distance from me. Reluctant to move, my eyes stuck to the page of the novel I asked the girl who was next to it to pass it on. She looked at me, then quietly took it to the woman who was sitting with her back to the girl. Without looking at her she took the jug, kept it down and then raised her head to see her face. Immediately at that point of time she dropped the jug and started shouting at her, as if she had committed a sin. I didn’t get it. Later I came to know that she was a lower caste, an untouchable and was not supposed to touch anything in the kitchen. The incident shook me. Did things like that still happen? Yes, they do.
What happened the next day was another big surprise. The lady next door was going somewhere with her baby. She greeted my grandmother and told her that the baby was not sleeping properly, so she was taking her to the ‘tantrik’. He will cast some spells and make him more comfortable. Once again I saw a strange thing, I kept on staring at her with disbelief till she disappeared from my view. And strangest was the fact that she was not some illiterate person, she was a teacher in the village school.
These were two of the many disturbing things that I found out in one visit. I don’t know what more is lurking in the rural areas of India, which I did not notice. However such things are not only limited to the rural people, but to an great extent spread among the intellectuals too.
Industrially India might have progressed, but majority of India still follows the old superstitions, and have no intention of curbing the social evils that are eating up our country from within. Until India progresses socially there is very little chance that it will develop.
Born and brought up in a city, with modern amenities all around, with so-called intellectual people all around, I could not deny the truth of the fact that these social evils were a matter of the past. This misconception however lasted until I visited my village. I had been there when I was a child and at that time was not in a position to understand or judge the phenomena taking place around me.
After so many years, I felt fresh air, devoid of the city smoke, touch my face, the paddy was swaying in the fields, everything seemed so fascinating. Everything was new, there was no hustle and bustle of the city, I could even hear the chirping if the bird.
I settled down in my house. It was festival time, so everyone was busy in preparing delicacies. Some of my grandmother’s friends were sitting there chatting while they prepared the materials of the food. I just sat there with novel in my hand. It must have been after some time, when a girl about my age came. She sometimes ran some errands for the house, cleaning, and stuff. I was very much into the novel when one of the ladies sitting there asked me to pass the jug of water placed at about a meter distance from me. Reluctant to move, my eyes stuck to the page of the novel I asked the girl who was next to it to pass it on. She looked at me, then quietly took it to the woman who was sitting with her back to the girl. Without looking at her she took the jug, kept it down and then raised her head to see her face. Immediately at that point of time she dropped the jug and started shouting at her, as if she had committed a sin. I didn’t get it. Later I came to know that she was a lower caste, an untouchable and was not supposed to touch anything in the kitchen. The incident shook me. Did things like that still happen? Yes, they do.
What happened the next day was another big surprise. The lady next door was going somewhere with her baby. She greeted my grandmother and told her that the baby was not sleeping properly, so she was taking her to the ‘tantrik’. He will cast some spells and make him more comfortable. Once again I saw a strange thing, I kept on staring at her with disbelief till she disappeared from my view. And strangest was the fact that she was not some illiterate person, she was a teacher in the village school.
These were two of the many disturbing things that I found out in one visit. I don’t know what more is lurking in the rural areas of India, which I did not notice. However such things are not only limited to the rural people, but to an great extent spread among the intellectuals too.
Industrially India might have progressed, but majority of India still follows the old superstitions, and have no intention of curbing the social evils that are eating up our country from within. Until India progresses socially there is very little chance that it will develop.
-me, aditi priya
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