Radhe Maa or Radhe Paa

Radeh Ma or Radhe Paa

It’s decided, all the career counseling classes that I hold for my children are a waste of time. My cajoling and asking distinguished people to come to my pind and talk to my motley crew of children who need inspiration and need to break the mold of poverty and the vicious circle they are in .I have been inspiring them with stories and motivating them to better themselves.

And, guess what happens on the last parent teacher meeting one of the girl pipes up and says why can’t she become a Radhe ma.

She is fair, white as required by the obsessed nation, and has a fair knowledge of the scriptures. In fact, she lives close by to the mandir too. And, to like the color red is no problem for her.  The only thing for her is that she would wear different color for every day. The next generation is so much savvier and with it.

In fact, one of the older students also showed me how she was trending, and women had theme parties based on her. Also, she was so popular, there were some music CD’s in her name, dedicated to her.

Why would not the children look up to her?

A young girl married at an early age belonging to a normal village the kind that dotted Punjab who tried to supplement her income by stitching clothes overnight (well not literally overnight but over a period of time) became a multi millionaire.

She wears the best of jewelry, clothes, is made up to the T and has a bandwagon of people following her. What is the need for the children to   study sciences, or engineering or join the forces?

This was an easy way, they could just speak the saloks, or better still put shabad or the MP3 or CD on . The next step was to just dance, let your self loose in gay abandon and you forget your stress, tension and the worries of life.

I think I’ve been stupid all my life, I’ve lived more than half my life following a code instilled by my parents, where one needs to have a decent education accompanied by a basic moral code. And here, was a quick make it rich way to have it all in ones life!

How was I going to compete with this? To tell them, to study to make a life and be independent. Every week, one tries to motivate the children to rise above temptations of easy money especially in rural Punjab. This itself is a Pandora’s box that I don’t want to open today.

The society today is more vulnerable to the antics or the manipulation by politician, the Godman that preys upon the insecurities of the human mind and its psyche. We together have never been so divided and fraught with insecurities based upon class, color, caste, and religion and even look. The obsession of being white, to look fair and lovely has spiraled a billion dollar industry, furthermore to look pretty, handsome, thin, with it is the cause of stress and then the worst is to have what the neighbor has, bigger, better, brighter and more is the mantra.

My children now believe Ache Din , comes only if they become Radhe Ma or Radhe Paa.

On second thoughts , I am considering a career change , if only the stubborn grey hair take color .