India, What the Heck?

By on May 8, 2009 in Uncategorized

As countries like India and China rise in their global status and economic power, I wonder if the increased visibility will force them to clean up their act and see that their children are protected.

This headline last week was a harsh reminder of what goes on…

“The father of Slumdog Millionaire star Rubina Ali, 9, is accused of trying to sell his daughter for $300,000 to a sheik.”

rubina-ali-oscarsAlthough I read this in a Hollywood gossip magazine — and many might question the accuracy of the reporting — I did appreciate that a pop magazine brought attention to the fact that the selling of daughters is not an uncommon practice in India.

Girls are trafficked in India for sexual exploitation, domestic labor, drug peddling, begging, adoption and marriage. Some say the price of the girl depends on the color of her eyes and her skin, and a virgin girl goes for a lot higher price. It can seem like a world away, but for some, it is quite close.

Last weekend in the New York Times Magazine column The Ethicist a reader submitted a query about whether he should give money, food or neither to the beggar children in India on his upcoming trip. The reader was concerned that exploitative adults might take the money.

If you saw the film Slumdog Millionaire then you probably remember the child trafficker who tricked the children into thinking they were going to get a promotion. When they arrived for their good news, the surprise turned out to be a cupful of acid poured into the child’s eyes to purposefully blind him or her to make their begging more poignant and profitable.

Records show that maiming a child is just another scam put on by these child overlords to get more money into their pockets.

I have seen these children. They have come up to me with their white milky eyes on the streets of Delhi and have knocked their stumps on my taxi window as I sat devastated staring back at them. It is all quite tragic to think about.

So why am I writing and telling about all of these horrifying things?

I write about this because I feel that the more it is reported and the more we talk about it, the more accountable the countries responsible for it become.

I am by no means saying that our own country, the US, is a grand model for human rights. I’m not wagging my finger. But in my opinion there is a level of global inhumanity that has been going on for far too long and perhaps we have reached a tipping point.

Admittedly, I may just be naïve to think that talking about issues can solve them. But in my heart of hearts I do believe this. With transparency, comes accountability, comes responsibility, comes change.

Your thoughts?

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

About tabbybiddle

Tabby Biddle, MS Ed., is a writer and editor specializing in helping women entrepreneurs and emerging authors get their message out to make change in the world. She is the Founder of Lotus Blossom Style, a yoga clothing company created to inspire and support women in their journey of self-discovery. Tabby spent her early career years in politics and journalism at the Women's Campaign Fund, CNN and the National Geographic Society. She left the desk-life to travel for two years in Southeast Asia, Nepal and India to learn about Buddhist and Yogic culture and philosophy. Along her travels, Tabby certified as a teacher of English as a Second Language and taught English to Tibetan monks in Dharamsala, India as well as yoga to Tibetan teenagers. Her passion for Tibetan culture and heritage led her to work for the Free Tibet Campaign in London as a writer and editor for their magazine. When she returned to the US, Tabby took her love for teaching into the classroom and taught at the City and Country School in New York City and in the summertime headed out of classroom into the mountains of the Pacific Northwest where she worked as an outdoor adventure instructor with Adventure Treks. Tabby is a certified yoga teacher and yoga therapist and taught in yoga studios, classrooms, community centers, and private residences for 10 years. As a gifted teacher and writer with a passion for seeing women blossom into their potential and make a difference in the world, Tabby works with women entrepreneurs around the country to help them get their message out. Tabby lives in Santa Monica, CA with her husband and enjoys hiking, running, biking, reading, writing and singing.

View all posts by tabbybiddle →

, ,

3 Responses to India, What the Heck?

  1. stuball56 May 8, 2009 at 1:35 pm #

    I do not think you are naive. I found the part of the movie that you described to be the only part that I thought was worthy of best picture. The horrible Dickensian childhoods of chldren for whom no one cares and no one loves is all too real in the world.

    The root cause of this problem is the devaluing of human life and value in comparison to the value of an imagined thing that has no basis in reality, money. Only when we realize that we are not independent separate beings but part of one another will we take responsibility and create a world society where everyone counts and everyone matters in their humanity.

    You are exactly right, the media is part of this economic system as Noam Chomsky wrote in his book Manufacturing Consent. When science and spirituality are integrated along with sexuality, it will no longer be possible for people to turn away their faces from the blinding of children.

    love and light,

    Stuart
    http://stuartmarkberlin.com

  2. danashields May 8, 2009 at 3:24 pm #

    This "protecting our children" thought is brand new, less developed than black civil rights or women's suffrage. Children occupy a space on par with property. No accident. Mortality rates a century ago were so high that it didn't pay to get attached in any sense.

    Brand new idea, this protecting our children thing. We've got a TON of work ahead of us.

  3. tabbybiddle May 8, 2009 at 7:04 pm #

    Hi Stuart.

    Thanks for your comment. I have thought a lot about the integration of science and spirituality, but had not yet considered integration with the third "s" — sexuality. That makes a lot of sense to me. Mind (science), body (sexuality) and spirit (spirituality).

    Thanks for the reminder of the deep need for this integration.

    Enjoy your weekend,

    Tabby

    Tabby Biddle

    Founder and CEO

    Lotus Blossom Style – A Yoga Lifestyle Company
    http://www.lotusblossomstyle.com