IN a tranquil village perched high atop the mountainscape of Kotkhai, accessible only through a gruelling climb on foot, a traditional home nestled amidst lush apple orchards holds a painful, poignant memory. On the wooden wall of the living room, two photographs have been hung with quiet reverence. One captures the radiant smile of a teenage girl in school uniform, her hair braided and a backpack slung over her shoulders. The other is the portrait of a face that smiles with innocence, now shadowed by profound grief.
These images are symbols of cherished memories and heart-wrenching moments, embodying the enduring spirit of a 16-year-old daughter, whose voice still echoes in Halaila forest’s eerie silence. This was the 5-km path to school she used to brave every day, driven by her desire for a brighter future.
Her grieving mother frequently takes down the photograph, gently wipes away the dust, and then places it back. When the morning sun lights up the room, she stands there motionlessly in reverence. Her eyes well up. Every tear is a testament to the heart-wrenching and horrifying loss of a daughter, whose boundless energy used to inspire her family. It’s been almost seven years now since Gudiya (a Class X student, nicknamed posthumously), the youngest of the family’s six daughters, went missing in the Halaila forest. On July 4, 2017, Gudiya went missing on the way back home from Government Senior Secondary School, Mahasu (Kotkhai). Three days later, a police First Information Report (FIR) was lodged, and her fully naked body was found in the forest, barely a few metres away from the path she used to take. Despite the absence of a motorable road to the village, she had decided to walk to school through the forest path to get the best education, believing in her potential to reach great heights. The path she travelled to school each day, a path to her dreams, had turned treacherous.
Esta historia es de la edición September 11, 2024 de Outlook.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 11, 2024 de Outlook.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Wah, Taj
Armed with the steely spirit of Tajness’, the staff members at Taj Hotel in Mumbai put themselves in the line of fire to save the lives of the guests on 26/11
Exciting Breakthroughs in Breast Cancer Treatment
In this interview, Dr. Kanchan Kaur discusses advancements in Indian healthcare, the rise of women in medicine, and critical insights on breast cancer treatment and awareness
Ratan, Ta-ta
Many in the Indian industry think they have lost a moral compass in the passing of Tata
Plutarch's Mine of Poetry
Poet, writer and former IPS officer Keki N. Daruwalla has left behind a towering literary legacy
The Memory Keeper
Much of Han Kang's fiction traces the impact of the violence inflicted on ordinary lives by authoritarians and the burden of historical traumas
A Ploy for Self-Coronation
The ONOE proposal to synchronise elections puts the dynamic democratic process at risk
Time to Abrogate Bitterness
The National Conference's win in the recent assembly elections is a mandate for transformation, not celebration
'We Lose Our House Every Day'
With nearly one in every 100 people in India living under the threat of eviction, the weight of anxiety, fear and confusion has become an inescapable reality
THE PROMISE OF INDIAN MANAGEMENT EDUCATION IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES
The question of whether ‘politics informs economics’ or vice-versa has been looming large for decades now, but has hardly been as prominent and critical as today.
SHAPING TOMORROW'S LEADERS
The Power, Challenges, and Future of Business Schools in India and Beyond