O Holy Night

Cannot stop myself from sharing this article which is front-paper news of Kolkata edition of many newspapers today. This is the struggle of Jhuma Sarakar whose father, a small wage earner mason, was sent to life imprisonment by lower court when Jhuma was in Class VII. The devastated family saw the mother start working as domestic help. There was some support from uncle in initial years. Jhuma did not abandon study. Joined college and started giving private tution. With that she started long court battle to prove his father's innocence. Everyone in the family always saw in the father a pious and kind person and was convinced of innocence.

In the words of Jhuma, "My faith in his innocence prompted me to raise money for the legal battle by giving private tuition. My mother works as a domestic help. She brought me up. I had resolved that I would not marry before my father’s innocence was proved." (The Telegraph Link) and "I was a child then. Though I knew that my father was innocent, I couldn't do anything to help. Finally, when I joined college, I decided that we would have to get justice for him. I started giving private coaching and spent whatever I got in providing legal help for my father. My father was in jail for so many years for no fault of his and this was the least we could do to get him out. My uncle provided a lot of assistance." (ToI Link)

2004 to 2013. A long journey. The day was yesterday, the 24th Decemeber, 2013. The father was released by higher court. The Holy Night descends in Sarkar family with a different meaning all together. The stars salute the grit, the determination of the daughter. We join them and take a bow before the daughter.

And this is the country where daughters are seen as burden! We at IIT Kharagpur are exploring means to reduce female foeticide. Hope we can do our part so that Jhumas can continue to prove their worth and the Agnipariksha from Ramayan ages stop someday.

Jhuma is now studying M.A. Her brother abandoned study in Class VII.