OFFSPRING (1998)

OFFSPRING
I have always believed that an offspring is, to some extent a necessity, especially from the biological point of view for the biological aim of life is to produce offspring. Now whether or not the biological viewpoint deserves respect is something that may be highly debatable. However, the ideas that most people at least most Indians hold is that offspring is one’s contribution to the society and that this way they are able to spread and maintain their family name, property etc. More so, in the rural areas children are produced with an attitude I do not support. Children are a commodity. They fulfill a person’s wishes and desires, or so it seems.

There is something incorrect that I see in this common Indian opinion to the thought on offspring. Bluntly put, offspring are a consequence of the sexual pleasure seeking of a couple, albeit in most cases. It may not be as bad if one believes so for most people would respect the fruits of their pleasure seeking, not just try to further their myopic goals, those of carrying one’s name, profession, property, etc. I for one fail to respect the man so obsessed with his name, property etc and how these are looked upon after his death. Invariably it is these desires that end up causing avoidable imposition of force to influence the thoughts of children. Where is the child’s freedom then? Just because the past few generations have followed a particular profession, religion etc the next one must also follow it. How absurd. Consequently, most Indian children are mentally caged into thinking through the mind of their parents. They lose the capability to possess an independent thought, very early in life. I am not trying to stop the concerned parent from passing on his experience to the child. What I wish to say is that if parents learned to show the picture as they see it (which may not necessarily be the right one), an then allow the child to reach a conclusion through self realization out of individual thought, the child would grow up to be more independent and distinctly matured. However, in most cases as parents we end up burdening our children with the pressure of our own opinions and aspirations. For now, though I can’t help but say that when it comes to dealing with children many of us don’t understand the true meaning of ‘Freedom’.