Corruption of blood

On 12^th March 2022, female Sub Inspector Mary Rose, posted in Rahim Yar Khan, committed suicide at her home. She left behind a chilling suicide note in the form of words smeared with red lipstick on her dressing table mirror. Her last words were meri betiyon ki shaadi kisi insan se karna jo unki zimedari utha sake i.e. marry my daughters to someone who can take their responsibility. Mary Rose swallowed pesticide pills and killed herself after she wrote these spine tingling words on the mirror.

Rose leaves behind two young daughters. Her husband is also an inspector in the Lahore Motorway Police and according to her suicide note, she had been facing domestic issues with her husband. However, the police have so far not initiated any inquiry against the husband, and Rose’s parents have also denied his involvement. They have instead gone on to state that Rose was depressed due to her wedlock transfer being pending for the past eight years. However all such claims have been refuted by the police executives who say they weren’t aware of the same.

While the inquiry is pending, one thing is for sure. We have failed as humans. The entire system has failed. Even those who work to protect us from crimes are not safe from them. Rose is an example. Although there are laws in place for domestic violence but the issue of mental health being stigmatised in our society really nullifies everything. And in my opinion, that is where we lack. Our police officials, our army, our navy, all institutions should offer free mental health support to the troops. Especially our local police. They are under-paid (due to which they are forced to take bribes), they work under humane conditions and their working hours are atrocious. All these factors contribute towards mental trauma and mental health issues, which go undiagnosed and unaddressed for years.

Rose was one example. Had she been provided with efficacious and accessible mental health support, she may have been alive today. But here’s where the toxic marriage culture plays its part. We prefer that our daughters die rather than seek khula from abusive marriages because what the society would think of a woman who seeks khula from her husband. She is usually termed a ‘tainted woman’ and a woman whom no other man would marry.

Amongst all this, let’s just not talk about the government and the politicians. They’re as useful as the drains in defence. All around the world, the aim of politicians is to ensure betterment of their citizens through effective legislation and productively-functioning state institutions. But our politicians are a different breed. Every five years, new ones show up to merely fill their pockets and aim digs at the previous government figures. The current PM is an example. Ever since he’s come to power, he’s only been hating on Nawaz Sharif and now he’s recently begun spurting sexist remarks too. The same goes for the previous governments that came and went. No one has done anything for their people.

Every day, citizens die at the hands of muggers. Father and mothers grieve while the ones in the parliament continue to feed their egos by fulfilling personal grudges. More than 70 years have passed, yet Pakistan has nothing to show for. No education, poor infrastructure and moral hypocrisy. If things continue this way, we might add more achievements to this list.

Nonetheless, Rose Mary is not here anymore. Her daughters once they grow up, will ask their dad what happened to their mom and he won’t utter a word. They will ask the state, but the state won’t answer. No one will answer. Please, let’s practise what we preach. All the money we make will not go with us. Be kind, be empathetic and don’t sell your principles, your morals and your values. Don’t be a sellout. Talk to someone and seek help. And for the listeners, please listen, you might save someone’s life.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2022.

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