“Baby is not a Toy”: Rita Garg’s An Abbreviated Child

Dr. Parul Tyagi

Associate Professor, Dept. of English, I.N. (PG) College, Meerut (U.P.) India

When the glory of God is made to fade then erupts a volcano in the form of a novel, An Abbreviated Child by Rita Garg on the multidimensional miseries of children is shrouded in the woos of the parents and of the offsprings with no idea of destinations. Since ever and ever, humans are treated as a commodity as well. Today also, the features might have changed but the concrete is the same. Regarding this feature, the main demarcation comes of stature. The misery-stricken and the destiny-demolished grown-ups suffer to the core. The young ones not only suffer themselves but also leave the emotionally perturbed mother in a jungle of thorns where she must tread upon in quest of the welfare of the Babe – the ever dependent babe. The endless quest for the babe’s well-being brings mother to a point where the end in the form of blue bodies is the solution; no doubt, the unwanted justice at the hands of self shall cause nothing but the destruction of the creator on the earth. With the reason of mother’s inkling of endless turmoil of an unsheltered babe, such tragic instances occur repeatedly. The description by the writer depicts how the graveyard is the sufferer and bearer of all the anxious pains. The over exposed child in a poor location becomes more or less one with the animals or animal senses. With the history and culture, failing to introduce benefic changes in the conditions, the projection of this stands on humane plethora. Alka Rani rightly observes, “By depicting the necked picture of this horrible half part of any community, Rita is able to strike a chord of fear in the heart of so called conscientious, sensible and religious minded Indians. The subject of child atrocities is also dealt with supreme transparency. The sour truth about the matter is that they are often neglected or abused in their own family since their very early childhood. It is very strange that Radha, Chhotu, Gauri, etc., are made to suffer and abused mainly by their biological parents, brothers or sisters rather than by a stranger. Even stranger fact is that mostly all this happens just for a little amount of money”.(139)
According to Rita Garg, “Corruption calls for those actions which trouble others or harm others in an unwanted manner. Society is the worst hit because there accumulates the total effect of moral, financial, social or political corruption.”(in an interview with the author) She projects the scene of moral corruption with historical background and the reference given is that of Panna Dahay who sacrificed her own child for political loyalty to the prince of the state. According to Indian history Panna Dhay, the wet nurse of the State replaced her own babe with the Prince of the State because the Minister had usurped the throne and proved a regicide of the wet nurse. Here the novel raises the question whether this is a proper requirement or not. Secondly, the political scene in those days was not fit with regard to the way of morality. Corruption was in excess, the minister of the state was trying to impose himself as the king and he wanted to kill the prince. On the one hand the moral corruption is on part of vizier who is trying to take the life of prince and on the other is excess of loyalty on the other part of wet-nurse is also moral corruption to let the person take life of a baby. Rita Garg comments, “This situation has the sacrificial instinct at the highest level but somewhere or the other, another innocent has to face the end for no reason of its own.”(in an interview with the author)
The novelist also raises the question of child bearing on the part of HIV patients, leprosy patients, mental patients, drunkards and extremely destituted beings. At one place she uses the expression that mental HIV is such that moral corruption is on every land, at home and outside home. She writes :
“Every leprosy patient delivers babes.
Every HIV patient delivers babes.
Soft tissues and inner muscles of eyelids suck HIV infection during the struggle of labour pains. The struggle is writ large in the destiny : there is no money in the family, a child shall be better to beg alms and get food for parents; father is blind and mother is invalid, best is to have a child as a supportive measure.”(16)
She depicts at one place that a poor and drunkard, who is enjoying the earnings of a hard working wife and daughter. His wife is a char woman and works sincerely, but he suspects her. One day he sells them. Later in life after three sellings Radha becomes a social reformer who advances the orphanage of Mrs. Preet Rani. This is not the only instance of moral corruption at the hands of her father and other sellers, Radha herself suffers much in the house of Minister ji after marriage. To fight this anti-nation element – Minister ji, Radha separates self bravely along with other destitute child labour over there: “Radha will spread the message. Baby is not a toy to be fondled, embraced and this and that – by one and all.”(18)
In this world full of uncalled for children from the angle of society, there is every need to help the poverty sufferer while man is busy thinking of me and mine. Here the novelist compares the role of a real mother and a surrogate mother. She gives a mythological reference of Mahabharata in which Abhimanyu’s mother is telling how a Chakravyuha is entered into and broken, but she went to sleep and could not listen to the process of coming out of the Chakrvyuha. The embrayo within could learn only the half. To compare the scene with a surrogate mother would be shocking as is known a Surrogate works for lacs and lacs of rupees. Also, they extract money for such joys as eating, jewellery, films which is not good nourishment for the embryo. A learned atmosphere can give much more to the baby within. According to the novelist the womb is of a surrogate mother is like a ‘never-never-nest.’(8) The fact being that nest is a justified place and surrogacy has the reason of money. If Abhimanyu had to give up his life because his mother could not give him full education, a surrogate mother would never make a good or successful competitor.
The novelist also raises another issue – the issue of medical problem. She questions when a baby gets medical problem in genes, the load of disease is double – from the mother and from the father. Now here comes the role of surrogate mother also. She adds one more dimension to the medical dilemma of the baby and depiction of Gauri. This is not medically proven but the possibility is definitely remaining there. As it is that HIV patient mother, the embryo catches disease during labour pain. The moral corruption on the part of Gauri’s husband is so much that the novelist in tempted to coin the phrase ‘genderex’. Her husband uses her as his young wife and yokes to till the farm as one of OX of his is dead.(45) Gauri relates this to her sister-in-law :
“I know the taste of hunger.”
“I know the labour of an OX.
…………………….
Without the loss of virginity. I know the loss of womanhood!”(70)
In this novel, the novelist also gives instances of the role and kidnapping of children. Radha is also sold and brought to city in a big tin box with drugs induced which change her constitution like drowsiness and puffiness all over, are the symptoms. Her second sale is again drug induced. This time she is with full make up in the scortching heat of June under direct sun with legs and feet tied to bamboos between two big trees.
Another instance is of Keshava’s sister. He is another inmate of the orphanage who relates the selling of his sister made to sit in a rickshaw as if waiting for someone and the criminals surrounding the rickshaw from distance.
In the third incident described a mother is beating herself or shouting vehemently but of no avail the babe has been taken away by the torturer and she is helpless. She does not understand whether to live or suspend life. The reason is if the babe is recovered who would look after. Another babe is kidnapped and taken away hidden behind the half legs of an invalid in his self-propelled rickshaw specially meant for an invalid. No one can suspect invalid who himself is apparently a needy person. Two-three accomplices move with the rickshaw surrounded so that the drug induced quiet babe is not seen by anyone. As soon as the criminal crowded area comes, the accomplices disappear because it is safe for the invalid kidnapper. These corrupt practices have roots in the organ-selling, flesh trade and slave market as the helping hands.
To conclude the scene, the novelist suggests that instead of being a child in adverse circumstances and selling them as abbreviated, or to abbreviate, it is better to improve upon the conditions of the misery stricken or the unemployed. “When History is the biggest lie; Myth is not proven scientifically; and culture is a changing phase then lots of succour ought to be extended to the abbreviated young ones.”(104)
Towards the end of the novel, a character, Chandrima who was left as an infant by the road side and is picked up and brought up by Radha says that she would not marry her best friend, Roderigo. To this, he says that not to marry is unsocial but they would not have children rather they would work on an island and create employment for the skilled and unskilled labours over there. This could be better contribution to the society rather than increasing the number of children and take space of those who are already in a suffocated space.
The metaphorical use of the word abbreviated implies the curb on the growth of the child. This is broadly in the sense of the shining of talents. A poor man’s daughter has to be a charwoman. She has no right to education. In this novel, the novelist creates a sharp contrast by delineating the characters of Kalia’s wife and sister and his daughter. The daughter is given education and she is happily settled in life. While Gauri the sister has no education but is sold for Rs. 20000/-. There she suffers till husband is alive Kalia himself dies early and is wife has to runaway. Kalia’s daughter has education under the government scheme where fees s much reduced and books are free. This saves her life. Her parents are labour but they are able to educate her in a government school. Similarly, Radha at young age had nothing but in the asylum of Preet Rani, she gets education to be successful in life by herself and also being succour to others, like such characters as Chandrima or Roderigo. All are not lucky enough to find one selling of theirs after another and still be a Radha. They must take care not to let the circumstances of theirs or of others be miserable. They must run on an upward trend and fight the negation in life.
Works Cited:
Agarwal, Alka Rani. “Rita Garg’s An Abbreviated Child : Beginning of an Era of Reformation through Fiction” Satendra Kumar and Archana D. Tyagi (ed.). Jaipur : Yking Books, 2014, Print.
Garg, Rita. An Abbreviated Child : New Delhi : Vishwabharti Publications, 2011, Print.