Nowadays, we are all praying to have daughters in this part of Kerala. Hard to believe? Think I am out of my mind? I hear many of you whining, “Are you crazy? Despite all these innumerable atrocities perpetrated to women all over India? Are you still giving the thumbs up to have more daughters? Hey, buddy, you need your head examined”.
Aye, Aye, sir, we are all for daughters here in Piravom. The multi-storied houses, the sedans in their porches and the satellite dishes on their rooftops are the handiwork of daughters in the homes. For us, the birth of a daughter is the advent of an NRI nurse, the avatar of Mahalakshmi, the prognostication of prosperity and progress to the family. Eight out of 10 households in my neighborhood boast an NRI.
Allikutty, Lillykutty, Shellykutty, Indu, Bindu, Sindhu — all these girls are now praising the Lord in a foreign land and with no regrets. Their parents and grandparents have become global and big picture. They talk about Katrina, Sandy, the snowstorms in New York and the riots in London as if it was next door. They are vacationing — actually baby sitting their grandchildren — in Europe and America. Texting and teleconferencing are kids’ stuff for these oldies who wear funky clothes. Thanks to the daughters.
The other day I ran into Mr Paily, our former rubber-tapper. “Hey, it has been quiet a while! Where have you been?” I said. “In New York,” he said casually. I was not taken aback.
Education is the mantra that makes our girls go places. Our parents make sure that the girls complete 12th and go to nursing school whatever it takes. The farm workers, casual labourers and members of the so-called noble families are vying with one another to send their daughters to nursing schools.
In the old days, the nursing profession was a little under the weather, beneath your social status. But now, noble or ignoble, all our families are on the same page when it comes to nursing education. Money matters and the social stigma get shattered. These NRI girls are working wonders for their families. They have become their own women. The boys are queuing up to marry them and that too, sans dowry. Oh, and our girls are spoilt for choice. They are calling the shots. While the birth of a daughter elsewhere is an seen as accursed, a repugnant repulsion, a financial burden, we welcome her with open arms. It is cause celebre for us.
I beseech the parents of daughters elsewhere India. Come on, equip your daughters with education. Don’t you know that still waters run deep? They will redeem, redefine the prospects of your family. You can count on them, they will never let you down. I can vouch for it because I bear witness to that miracle in our village. Parents, aren’t you tired of being losers all the time? Prove to yourself and the world that you are worthy of something. Set the tone. Show the world what you are capable of.