The AFP reported that an indian women who had recently given birth to a baby sold said baby to a childless couple to pay for her hospital bill. It was further reported that she received a grand total of 6000 rupees ( about USD120 = ZAR1200) in the exchange. A pittance.
Apparently baby trading is on the rise in poverty stricken India. This is just one of the many social ills - or trends if you will, inflicting this godforsaken country. It seems ironic to see how India's society is falling apart in so many ways, when one considers the fact that the plains of Mohenjo Daro and Harrapa once supported one of the oldest human civilizations in history.
Who do we blame for this? do we blame the mother for her lack of morality for selling her own flesh and blood for money? or do we blame the hospital for forcing a poverty stricken mother to pay for fees she cannot even afford? Maybe we should point the fingers at the couple who were party to the exchange - even though the baby might now have a chance at living a better life?
In today's world where money is the ticket to surviving the modern world - the thousands and millions who are without are left to fend for themselves by whatever means necessary. This means selling babies, selling body parts, killing people, maiming children, kidnapping young girls and putting them in the flesh trade...Put this way, it paints a very scary prospect for the future. When money becomes the singular currency by which society measure their quality of life, ........moral values or decency might cease to exist.
All of us that work for somebody or something.. we are dependent on money to live. We have been brainwashed to believe that the more money we have, the better our quality of life will be. Its not so far fetched to think of this because every month we have bills to pay for what we consider as "basic necessity" - i.e house to live in, car to drive from one point to another, cellphones by which we communicate with others, ADSL to be connected with the world, food to eat. etc etc.. its like a neverending need for more money..a downward spiral to more and more dependencies on a piece of paper.
which brings me to my point - if you have a means to reduce your dependency to the green/red/purple/blue paper - do it. If you have arable land, don't waste it - till it and grow your own food. Barter skills when you can - "I fix your roof, you fix my toilet"...that kind of thing.
A little bit of consciousness/awareness when collectively put - can make a huge difference. Don't you think?
link to feature: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hbq93uNbFurrROW6KeyJaKVa1i0Q
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