‘Abantwana Bayigugu, Kodwa Amadodana Abalulekile’
Njengoba inenani labantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-850 nesilinganiso sokubeletha sabangu-31 kulabo nalabo abangu-1 000, i-Indiya ibhekene nabantwana abasha abayizigidi ezingu-26 abazalwayo unyaka ngamunye, abalingana nenani labantu baseCanada. Akumangalisi ukuthi omunye wemisebenzi kahulumeni ophuthuma kakhulu uwukunqanda ukwanda okusheshayo kwenani labantu bawo. Ingabe uyaphumelela? Yiziphi ezinye zezithiyo obhekene nazo?
“NGAPHAMBI Kuka-20, Cha! Ngemva Kuka-30, Lutho Neze! Abantwana Ababili Kuphela—Kuhle!” lesi iseluleko esinikezwa ngolunye lwezingqwembe ezinombala ezixhonywe ephasishini yendlunkulu yokuhlela imindeni eBombay, eIndia. Olunye luveza umama okhathazekile ozungezwe abantwana abayisihlanu. Luyaxwayisa: “Ungazisoli Kamuva!” Lesigijimi siyagcizelela: Abantwana ababili kulowo nalowomkhaya banele. Kodwa ukwenza abantu bamukele futhi basebenzele ekutuseni kukahulumeni kokuba nabantwana ababili emkhayeni ngamunye akulula.
“AmaHindu abheka indoda njengejabulayo kuye ngesilinganiso senani labantwana enabo. Ngempela, phakathi kwawo abantwana babhekwa njengesibusiso ekhaya. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi umkhaya wendoda ungaba mkhulu kangakanani, ayiyeki neze ukuthandazela ukuba wande,” kusho incwadi ethi Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies. Nokho, ngokombono ongokwenkolo yingane yesilisa ebaluleke kakhulu enzalamizini yomkhaya. “Alikho ishwa elilingana nalelo lokungashiyi indodana noma umzukulu wesilisa ukuze enze imisebenzi yokugcina ngokuqondene nomngcwabo wayo,” kuqhubeka lencwadi ichaza. “Ukuncishwa okunjalo kubhekwa njengokungavimbela zonke izindlela zokungena eNdaweni Yentokozo ngemva kokufa.”
Amadodana ayadingeka futhi ekuqhubekiseleni phambili umkhuba wokukhulekela amadlozi, noma israddha. “Okungenani indodana eyodwa cishe yayibalulekile,” kubhala uA. L. Basham kuyiWonder That Was India. “Umuzwa ojulile womkhaya waseIndia yamaHindu washukumisa isifiso sokuthola amadodana, okungathi ngaphandle kwawo uhlu lozalo luyonyamala.”
Kanye nezinkolelo ezingokwenkolo, isici esingokwesiko esithonya isifiso sokuthola amadodana siyilungiselelo elingokwesiko laseIndia lomkhaya ohlangene, noma omkhulu, lapho amadodana ashadile eqhubeka ehlala nabazali bawo. “Amadodakazi ayagana futhi ahambe ayohlala emzini, kodwa amadodana ahlala ekhaya nabazali bawo; futhi abazali balindele ukuba amadodana abo abanakekele lapho sebegugile,” kuchaza uDkt. Lalita S. Chopra weMunicipal Corporation Health and Family Welfare Division yaseBombay. “Lokhu kuyisivikelo kubo. Abazali bazizwa bevikelekile lapho benamadodana amabili. Khona-ke ngokunengqondo uma umbhangqwana usuye wafinyelela umkhawulo osikiselwayo wabantwana ababili futhi bobabili abantwana bengamantombazane, kungenzeka kakhulu ukuthi uyoqhubeka uzama ukuba uthole indodana.”
Nakuba kuthathwa ngokuthi bonke abantwana babhekwa njengabavela kuNkulunkulu, izimo ezingokoqobo zokuphila kwansuku zonke zisho okwehlukile. “Ukudebeselelwa ngokwezokwelapha kwamantombazane kusobala,” kubika i-Indian Express. “Ukusinda kwawo akubhekwa njengokubaluleke ngempela ekuqhubekeni komkhaya uphila.” Lombiko ucaphuna ukuhlola okwenziwa eBombay okwembula ukuthi emibungwini engu-8 000 ekhishwayo ngemva kokuhlola ubulili bayo, engu-7 999 yayingabesifazane.
Umzabalazo Onyukelayo
“Emkhayeni, owesilisa ngokuvamile onqumayo ukuthi angaba nabantwana abangaki nokuthi umkhaya uyoba mkhulu kangakanani,” kuchaza uDkt. S. S. Sabnis, isikhulu esiphethe sezempilo seMunicipal Corporation yaseBombay, kwenye ingxoxo. Ngisho noma owesifazane ebengathanda ukubalandelanisa kahle abantwana bakhe noma ukulinganisela umkhaya wakhe, ungaphansi kokucindezelwa umyeni wakhe okungenzeka amelane nakho. “Kungakho sithumela amaqembu abesilisa nabesifazane ekhayeni ngalinye emijondolo eminyene kwethenjwa ukuthi isisebenzi sezempilo sesilisa siyokwazi ukukhuluma nobaba wekhaya futhi sikhuthaze ukulinganisela ubukhulu bomkhaya, simsize ukuba abone ukuthi anganikeza ukunakekela okungcono kubantwana abambalwa.” Kodwa njengoba siye sabona, izithiyo ziningi.
“Phakathi kwabantu abampofu ngokwengeziwe, isilinganiso sokufa kwezinsana siphakeme ngenxa yezimo ezingezinhle zokuphila,” kusho uDkt. Sabnis. “Ngakho ngokuqinisekile kunesifiso sokuba nabantwana abaningi, kwaziwa ukuthi abanye bayokufa.” Kodwa akwenziwa lutho ukuze kunakekelwe abantwana. Bayazulazula benganakiwe, benxiba noma mhlawumbe becosha ukudla kudoti. Futhi kuthiwani ngabazali? “Abazi ukuthi abantwana babo bakuphi,” kukhala uDkt. Sabnis.
Ukukhangisa eIndia ngokuvamile kubonisa umbhangqwana ojabulayo, obukeka uchuma ujabulela ukuphila nabantwana bawo ababili, ngokuvamile umfana nentombazane, labo ngokusobala abanakelelwa kahle. Kukulengxenye yomphakathi—isigaba esiphakathi—lapho ngokuvamile umqondo wokuba nabantwana ababili wemukelwa khona. Kodwa uqhele kakhulu ezingqondweni zabampofu, abacabanga ngalendlela, ‘Uma abazali bethu noma okhokho bethu baba nabantwana abangu-10 noma abangu-12, kungani singenakuba nabo? Kungani kufanele silinganiselwe kwababili?’ Kulapha phakathi kwabantu baseIndia abaningi abampofu lapho impi yokunqanda inani labantu ibhekene nokulwa okwenyukelayo. “Abantu basebasha manje futhi baseminyakeni yokuzala abantwana,” kuphawula uDkt. Chopra. “Kubonakala sengathi ukhukho lumuka nomoya. Sisenomsebenzi omkhulu ongaphambi kwethu.”