From On Air - Winter 2003

An Angry Father

PCI’s serial drama Taru premiered on All India Radio in the Indian states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkand, and Madhya Pradesh in February 2002. In May 2002, the drama expanded to the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi. Broadcast in the national language of Hindi, Taru reaches a potential audience of 600 million listeners residing in the populous states throughout the Hindi Belt in the north of India.

The lead character, Taru, is a young, educated woman from a humble background, who works in a village health center. Together with her colleague Shashikant, Taru is frequently called upon to settle disputes arising from the conflict between harmful traditions and progressive changes that are occurring all around them. In this scene, they are called to deal with a volatile case of child preference.

Shashikant: Look there Taru. That boy, rushing towards the center seems to be Mange Ram’s son Deenu.

Taru: Yes, it is Deenu. What’s wrong with him?

Deenu: Come quickly, sir. There in our colony, Kalua is creating a scene in front of his house. He says he will kill his new-born daughter. Come, do something or he will surely kill her.

Taru and Shashikant (together): What!

Shashikant (shocked): What! Kalua is killing his baby girl?

Deenu: Yes, yes! His wife gave birth to a baby girl this
morning. He was away at work in the fields then. He returned just now and says he will kill this girl.

Taru: Who sent you here?

Deenu: Kalua’s wife asked me to rush and request you to come soon. Please hurry up before it’s too late.

Taru: Let’s go Shashi.

Shashikant: Come, let’s rush. We will inform the village holy man Aloni Baba and his disciple Guruji also on the way.

Later, at Kalua’s house…

Kalua: I will kill all of them! I will kill them! I will kill all the daughters you give birth to!

Shashikant, Taru and Deenu enter the scene

Shashikant: Kalua, what is this? Have you gone mad? I say stop this nonsense.

Kalua: Please sir, keep away from this. Now no one can save her from my hands.

Taru: Kalua, don’t be mad. Why do you want to kill your own child? Even wild animals don’t behave like this.

Kalua: Madam, keep away from this. I know you upper class rich people very well.

Taru: You know nothing!

Shashikant: Kalua, do you know what you are doing? You can be thrown into prison if you do this. It is a crime!

Kalua: This talk of prison and crime is nonsense! You big rich people, you are all hypocrites. If you go for test and abortion, it is alright. If we do it, it is a crime. Why? (Pause) Don’t you know girls are a big burden, a curse for we poor people. Their education, dowry, and what not … it is better not to have them! This is my family. I will do what I like. Please leave me alone!

Taru: Kalua, don’t you dare to go into the house. I warn you.

Kalua: I will kill her! I will kill them all!

Taru (to Shashikant): Shashi, you take him away. I will go inside to his wife.

Taru goes into the house. Kalua’s wife is crying inconsolably. Seeing Taru, she comes running to her.

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