Chapter 8: Bholi (Bholi)

Bholi was frightened at first, because she remembered that the old cow Lakshmi had been turned out of the house and sold. But several things made her feel that school was a better place. She was given a clean dress and a bath, and oil was rubbed into her dry, matted hair, which had never happened at home, so she "began to believe that she was being taken to a place better than her home". At school she saw many girls almost of her own age and hoped one of them would become her friend. The coloured pictures on the wall fascinated her, and above all the lady teacher spoke to her in a soft, soothing voice and treated her with kindness, which she had never known before.

The teacher was the first person to treat Bholi with love and respect. She called her gently, patted her and encouraged her with "Well done" when she tried to say her name. She told her that if she put "the fear out of your heart" she would be able to speak like everyone else, and gave her a book with coloured pictures to learn from. She also promised her that in time she would be more learned than anyone else in the village and that no one would laugh at her.

This gave Bholi hope and confidence. She kept attending school, learnt to read and speak well, and became strong enough to refuse the marriage with Bishamber and to decide her own future. At the end, the teacher's satisfaction is described as that of "an artist" who completes "her masterpiece".

The teacher's kindness, encouragement and education gave Bholi confidence and a voice, and changed her from a simpleton into a bold, self-respecting woman.

At first Bholi agreed to marry a much older, lame man because she had heard her parents say that she might otherwise stay unmarried all her life, and she wished to save her father's izzat. She says, "For the sake of your izzat, I was willing to marry this lame old man."

She rejected the marriage when Bishamber, on seeing her pock-marks, demanded five thousand rupees from her father, and her father had to place his turban at Bishamber's feet. She called him "a mean, greedy and contemptible coward" and refused to marry such a man. This shows that Bholi was not weak. She was kind and thoughtful towards her parents, but she also had self-respect and courage, and she would not tolerate dowry or insult.

She first agreed to protect her father's honour, but refused when she saw Bishamber's greed. It shows her courage, self-respect and good sense.

"Bholi" means a simpleton, and it was the name given to her by people who thought she was foolish. Her real name, Sulekha, was lost under that label. At the end of the story, she has become a confident, educated and independent woman who speaks "in a voice that was calm and steady" and decides to serve her parents and teach in the school. By now she is no longer the "simpleton", so the writer calls her by her real name. It shows that she has found her identity, dignity and self-respect.

Sample answer. In many families girls are still not treated equally with boys. In the story, the sons are sent to the city to study, while Bholi is neglected and is given old clothes, and Ramlal's wife says, "If girls go to school, who will marry them?"

For the poster, the group should divide the work: one student writes the slogan, one draws the picture, one writes the points and one decorates and arranges. Suggested content: the heading "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao"; the slogans "Educate a girl, empower a nation" and "Daughters are not a burden, they are our pride"; a picture of a girl going to school with her books; and three or four short lines saying that girls should be given equal care, food, education and respect, and that the scheme aims to save the girl child and to educate her. The poster should be neat, colourful and easy to read from a distance.

Sample answer. I can contribute in many small ways. I can treat my sisters and girl classmates as equals and speak up when someone makes fun of a person for her appearance, speech or gender. I can help younger or weaker children with their studies, as Bholi's teacher helped her. I can also take part in awareness campaigns on girls' education and speak to elders about the evils of dowry and child neglect. Change in attitude begins with our own behaviour and spreads through our families and neighbourhood.

Sample answer. Yes, girls should know their rights and assert them, as Bholi did when she refused to be treated as an object. Girls and boys should have the same rights, duties and privileges. Often, however, society treats them differently: boys are sent to better schools, while girls are asked to do household work, married early or taught to keep quiet. In the story the sons were sent to the city for studies, while Bholi was given hand-me-down clothes and little attention. Human rights belong to every human being, so there should be no difference between "girls' rights" and "boys' rights".

No, they were not speaking English. The characters were probably speaking Hindi or another Indian language of the region (the story does not name it). The clues are the names, such as Ramlal, Sulekha, Bholi, Radha, Mangla and Champa, and the words Pitaji, izzat, Tehsildar and numberdar, which are Indian words or titles. The story is told in English for readers of the book.