Turned on the TV this morning, only to find the news channels covering news of another child that fell and got stuck in a borewell in a hamlet near Agra. Not again….
This must be the 6th or 7th incident (lost count now) of a child falling into borewell, since Prince was rescued from a similar ordeal and became an instant celebrity.

That makes me really suspicious: is there any conspiracy behind this? Is there greed at work behind all this, greed for money or instant fame? Are these mishaps being "staged" deliberately, risking the life of a child for whatever gains it may bring?

If the answer is yes, who's the guilty party? It's hard to believe that parents could be so ignorant to be careless about their wards, even if they are poor, illiterate or live in rural area. And how come the openings of all those borewells are never secured and left open for any child to wander near or fall into them?

Media is sure to blame; non-stop coverage of such incidents may bring help or hasten the rescue for the child in trouble, but it also confers on the victim quasi-stardom; possibly encouraging "copycats" to "perform similar feats" to achieve similar results. Not to forget that the incessant media coverage soon turns into a farce, and viewers like me loose interest.

This should be stopped, or the lives of more children will be at risk. First, the people responsible for not securing the openings of borewells/shafts/manholes should be fined heavily or punished. Secondly, media should not be allowed to sensationalize such incidents, as it seems to do more harm than good. Thirdly, politicians should be prevented from using such incidents to make show of their generosity (remember the booty promised to the rescued kids?) and sensitivity to garner votes.

I can only hope that sense finally dawns upon the people behind such things and no more young lives are risked for such ill-gotten gains.

Tags: prince, borewell, mishap, farce, media, greed, parent, child, rescue