“I suffered a great deal of humiliation and pain after separating from my daughter. From now, I will not say anything to her and will give her complete freedom to pursue whatever she wants,” said Kodagu planter, Prakash, who made his 13-year-old daughter beg in front of a temple last week for not studying well.
The week-long separation ended on Tuesday when the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) handed over the girl back to Mr Prakash after a meeting at its offices. The police had booked a case against Mr Prakash after the incident, but later dropped it. The girl was sent to a government home for girls under CWC care. The reunion was delayed as Mr Prakash, who was ill, could not attend a meeting called by the CWC on Friday.
Mr Prakash, narrating his story, said, “I am the eleventh son of a deputy commissioner and my mother was former minister M.P. Prakash’s sister. I lived away from my mother for 18 years as I left home when I was in Class 8. I met her only in 2004 when she was on her death bed. A self-made man, I have seen a lot of difficulties in my life.
“I lost my wife to breast cancer when my child was just three. When I was also diagnosed with blood cancer five years ago, I thought of giving good education to my daughter, to make her future secured. As a father I still don’t find any mistake in correcting my daughter. But the separation brought me an unexplainable pain. I am worried now on advising my daughter as I cannot afford to lose her again. Let her choose her life and I will support her.”
The girl said, “I felt bad when my father made me beg. But the separation from my father and living in the government home made me realise my mistakes. I will not hurt my father anymore and will follow his advice. The home was no less than a jail to me, though they took good care of me. As I was not separated from my father for even a day, it was very difficult to be here.”
CWC Chairman N.T. Venkatesh said Mr Prakash told them that he would not punish his daughter again.