This is an extract of a speech given by the chief guest at St. Helena's high school, which is a reputed and top all girls' school in Pune. ----A MUST READ!
As a doctor, who conducts Sonography, the commonest question that I am faced with is not how is the baby doing or how much does it weigh. Those are the reasons why we do the Sonography, but the commonest question is, "Is it a boy or a girl?" And, no, it is never the patient herself who wants to know; she always claims that her mother-in-law, or mother is the interested party.
I have frequently answered that with, "Neither, it's a ass, and that ass is in your brain (and vice versa)!"
The worst part of my job is when I have just delivered a patient and have to convey the news that a girl was born. I simply dread the look of disappointment on everyone's face. In this modern age, why do we
discriminate against the girl child so much?
Girls can survive illnesses better. They can cope with malnutrition much better than boys. As a doctor, I know that girls are much stronger than boys. And as a husband, I am cocksure that ladies are much stronger than men. I think that instead of Eve being created from Adam's rib, it was Adam who was created from Eve's rib. Yet so many parents do not want girls.
Therefore I want to salute all of you, who not only have a little daughter, but also have taken care that she goes to such a reputed school like St. Helena's.
I know that all of you care for your daughters so much that you would do anything for them. So what do you give these little darlings of yours? However, since time immemorial, scholars have tried to answer the question with no answer.
.... Okay, you say, we give freedom to our little girls, but how do we know that they will not make the wrong choices? It is natural for you to be frightened. What if my daughter falls in bad company? What if someone takes advantage of her? There is an answer to that also.
Your little daughter is like a ship. You know that a ship is safe in the harbour, but that is not where a ship is meant to be. A ship is meant to go out in the deep, wide ocean and sail from port to port. So what do you do to ensure a safe passage for your ship? You cannot lead it with a rope, tugging it from one harbour to another!
There are three things that you do to make sure you have a safe journey. Firstly you make sure that your ship is well built and strong. Secondly you equip the ship with the latest and most accurate instruments. Thirdly, and this is the most important part, you ensure that a well-trained and experienced crew is there to guide this ship.
It's the same with your daughters. You make sure that you have a strongly built ship. See that your daughter has an all round development. Expose her to all sorts of things and not only studies. You are fortunate that your school is so well reputed in sports. See that they take part in sports, elocution, dramatics, and debates.
Secondly, you need that up-to-date equipment on the ship. Provide good quality education, books and a healthy family atmosphere.
However, the most important thing is the crew, and these are the values that you impart your little child. They will guide her through life. As a parent, you can inculcate good values in your little girl. The school does half your job. But it is up to you to do the rest. You cannot tell your girl, "Always speak the truth!" and the next moment, when the phone rings, you tell her, "Tell that guy that I am not at home."
Children learn more by example than by words. So if you return that extra hundred-rupee note which the shopkeeper gave you back by mistake, your kids are going to look up at you. However, if you lecture her that you must respect elders, but simultaneously, you keep shouting at your aged watchman, it is going to confuse these little ones.
Spend quality time with them. You tell them to stop watching Cartoon network, however, when they ask you for dinner, you say 'Wait, I want to see Anurag Basu marry for the seventh time.' Or 'I want to see if Tulsi drowns in her own tears.' Lead by example, then only will your children believe you.
Thus if your ship is built strongly, is well equipped and most importantly, has a great crew, it does not matter if storms of bad company come, or waves of drugs or even rocks of misfortune come. Your crew, the values that you have instilled, will make sure that your precious ship will never flounder in this deep and dangerous ocean.
So give your girls freedom, but keep them safe by empowering them.
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