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Monday, July 09, 2007

Is Pooja of Unsound Mind?

Continuing from where I left off in the last post. The police say the woman, Pooja Chauhan (pictured below with a baseball bat) is of an unsound mind. I think this is a cover up for their inaction on her complaints. I would like to ask them a question. How did she become of unsound mind? What drove her to this "unsoundness" as they allege? Her protest was a fall back of their reluctance to take action, or, it could be a matter of "money talks."

But as it turns out, she alleged that in addition to her in-laws mistreating her and slapping her, even her neighbors joined in in slapping her. This happened to her in a situation where her husband - who promised to look after her in sickness and in health - was fully aware of what was going on. In such a situation, wouldn’t she – God bless her! – be placed under enough pressure so as to lose her mental equilibrium?

I know, truth could be causality here by, not such a huge and humungous causality. Her words have the ring of truth, and I can imagine what must have transpired there: the slaps, the abuses, the cruel words spewing from the people who should have treated her as their daughter. What if Pooja was their own daughter, in another’s house?

We tend to behave like pack animals, don’t we? And to think that she married her man for love, the man who promised to love and protect her (as the Bible says) “till death do us part.” Sorry for lapsing into mushy sentimentality here, can’t avoid it. The picture, the story, the events as it formed in my mind were too disturbing.

And, for the millions who don’t speak out, and suffer their indignation in silence, the picture of this woman in her undergarments, holding a baseball bat, this woman who has the guts to protest, should be a reminder to speak out. I don't blame her for taking this extreme step. (I am reminded of Jon Voigt in the movie “Walking Tall.”) I think she should be feted for her courage not called names.

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