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    Absent Friends ~ The Hidden Dangers of Being an Indian Girl
    Absent Friends ~ The Hidden Dangers of Being an Indian Girl
    Absent Friends ~ The Hidden Dangers of Being an Indian Girl
    Ebook41 pages27 minutes

    Absent Friends ~ The Hidden Dangers of Being an Indian Girl

    By Mark Helyar

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    About this ebook

    Absent Friends is a 5,500 word article that places the reality and impact of gender discrimination in the context of daily life in the Himalayan foothills, told through the stories of the girls and women who live there.

    "India is the most dangerous place in the world to be a baby girl," reported The Times of India in February 2012.

    According to a report published by the United Nations in 2011, an "Indian girl aged 1-5 years is 75% more likely to die than an Indian boy, making this the worst differential in child mortality for any country in the world."

    Official data from the 2011 Census of India reveals that, despite an increase in the number of females over the last 10 years, the number of girls under the age of seven has declined.

    Although some commentators argue that this is due to natural changes in the demographic, the predominant causes are more likely to be female infanticide, a practice that has existed for centuries, and foeticide, a rapidly escalating social evil. As scientific procedures for detecting the gender of a baby in the womb have improved in recent years, so the situation has worsened.

    In 2005, Mark Helyar travelled to India. He lived with street kids in South India, became caught up in a post-tsunami orphanage intrigue and visited some of the remote villages of the Garhwal region of the Himalayan foothills. Feeling compelled to share something of the spirit and determination of the people he met, he wrote Rising from the Dust ~ India's Hidden Voices.

    Seven years later, many of the issues remain pertinent. Some have become even more pressing. So Mark decided to update and publish parts of the book as a series of articles. Absent Friends is the first of these. At the heart of each one are the tales of people featured in Rising from the Dust, framed by updated references and links to other relevant news stories, publications and online material.

    About Rising from the Dust

    'A quest for adventure becomes a labour of love as Mark Helyar gains intimate access into the heart of a society rarely experienced by the western world.'

    Rising from the Dust is perfect preparation for gap year students, volunteers or anybody else planning to travel to India. By raising awareness about tough issues through humour and personal anecdote, it will also appeal to anyone who wants to read ‘behind the scenes’ stories about development and education in India from the comfort of their own armchair.

    Praise for Rising from the Dust

    “Without any shadow of doubt the finest and most enjoyable piece of non-fiction that I have ever read.” Jack Kelsey, a founder trustee of SKCV, an internationally-renown project working with street kids in South India.

    “Beautifully written, utterly compelling, this is a book about economic and educational challenges in India, set in the context of one man's physical and spiritual journey through it. Funny and shocking in turns, it's a deeply honest and unpretentious book. Backed up by well-researched notes and sources, this book should be compulsory reading for anyone who needs to learn gratitude for our free, accessible education system and welfare state.” Heather Tracy, London

    “A really great read. Very well written, readable & enjoyable. A review of travels through India from a very personal point of view. I particularly enjoyed the mix of travel writing, history and direct contact with all levels of current Indian society.” R Trigger, Bristol

    Other Readers’ Comments:

    “Insightful, inspirational, honest and entertaining.”

    “A fascinating insight into a world I shall never see, but your book has enabled me to do it from the luxury of my armchair.”

    “Finished the book and enjoyed every word... Never enjoyed another person’s journey so much.”

    “Soul-searching and well-researched... useful preparation for anyone planning on volunteering in a developing country, especially India.”

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMark Helyar
    Release dateOct 19, 2012
    ISBN9780955943034
    Absent Friends ~ The Hidden Dangers of Being an Indian Girl
    Author

    Mark Helyar

    Hello and thanks for visiting! So, a little bit about me... I enjoy a busy life. Depending on the day of the week or the contents of my in-tray, I'm a writer, theatre director, musician, all three, or none. This used to bother me. Now I just wake up and get on with whatever the day brings. Over the last eight years I've flown back and forth (from the UK) to India researching and writing Rising from the Dust, musical-directed and composed the music for two pantos at The Theatre Royal, Winchester, written several feature articles and been employed as an arts project manager, facilitator and trainer in the public, corporate and voluntary sectors. Until the end of 2004, I was Artistic Director of proteus, one of the south's leading touring companies. Prior to that I was Artistic Director of West 28th Street, company in residence at Fairfield, Croydon. As a pianist and musical director, I've performed on both sides of the Atlantic and composed the musical scores for over ten shows. I love to travel and my inquisitive mind has landed me in a number of countries. Those I've spent the most time in include India, Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand. I'm in my element when travel and writing opportunities meet. In December 2008, I travelled to Niyamgiri in Orissa, India, where I was commissioned by Resurgence magazine to explore the potential impact of the Vedanta mining project on the cultural and spiritual rights of the Khondas tribes. It's an incredible story: you can find out more about it on my website (see below). Since 2009, I've been Co-Director of Theatre for Take Art, a pioneering arts charity that serves the towns, villages and rural communities of Somerset. It's a part-time development role that enables me to juggle all my other freelance commitments. If you'd like to find out more about me, why I've spent so much time in India and what I'm up to now, please visit my website www.emptycanvas.co.uk

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      Book preview

      Absent Friends ~ The Hidden Dangers of Being an Indian Girl - Mark Helyar

      Absent Friends

      The Hidden Dangers of Being an Indian Girl

      Mark Helyar

      Published by empty canvas at Smashwords

      Copyright 2012 empty canvas

      Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed reading it, please encourage your friends and colleagues to download their own copy at Smashwords.com, where they can also discover other works by the author. Thank you for your support.

      Contents

      Introduction ~ Gender Discrimination: the Facts ~ A Striking Mountain Environment ~ Visiting Vinita ~ Gender Discrimination: the Reality ~ The Migrating Men ~ The Missing Men ~ Threat to the Area ~ Wedding Season: the Dowry ~ A Life of Relentless Hardship ~ References and Links ~ Rising from the Dust ~ About the Author

      Introduction

      In 2004 I quit my job, sold my house and went to India.

      During the course of my travels, I became caught up in a post-tsunami orphanage intrigue, lived with street kids in South India and visited some of the remote villages of the Garhwal region of the Himalayan foothills. Listening to the hopes and fears of the young, the trials of the hill women and the anxieties of the older generation, I encountered a society in transition, continually torn between tradition and development, culture and belief.

      Feeling compelled to share something of the spirit and determination of the people I’d met, I wrote Rising from the Dust. As India emerges as a major world player, I fear that many people could be left behind. Their voices need to be heard.

      Eight years on from my first trip (and I’ve returned several times), many of the issues remain pertinent and, in some cases, have become even more pressing.

      So I decided to update and publish parts of the book as a series of articles. At the heart of each one are the tales of people featured in the book, framed by references and links to other relevant news stories, publications and online material.

      I wrote in Rising from the Dust that "I’m neither a medic nor an anthropologist, but an ordinary person thrown

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