Fighting against all odds 

Khammam: In a country where gender discrimination is rampant and begins even before the birth of a girl child in the form of female foeticide and infanticide, there are many little shoulders that are bearing the brunt of life to scrape a living by fighting against all odds.

Bindu Priya, a Class IX student now, living in Mondikunta village under Aswapuram mandal located little over 100 km east of district headquarters Khammam, is one such a little girl with a steely determination who turned barber to support her family. About a year ago, she took up the cudgels on behalf of her father Medipelli Rajesh, who was making a hard living by working as a barber, suddenly fell sick and bed-ridden.

As her father could not go out for work anymore, the family’s only lifeline was cut off. With this the mantle of running the family fell on the girl with one of her elder sister already married and left for in-laws’ house and another sister pursuing her Degree.

Bindu who whenever in the past found leisure time used to spend it with her father at their hair cutting saloon. Then she learned a bit of their traditional occupation barber from her father. When it mattered most, her pastime learning came in as a blessing in disguise to run her family.

Bicycling between her school and the barber shop, she became the sole breadwinner of her family. Often she had to sacrifice her classes in the interests of her family.

Speaking to The Hans India, Bindu said “I believe in the dignity of labour. I don’t mind to do this work for the well-being of my family.” Her father Rajesh, who is steadily recovering from his illness, said “It was because of my courageous daughter, my family is living upright.”

By Adepu Mahender