Having penned “In Love With Your Friendship” a fiction about love and friendship and its complications, writer Siddhartha Garg decided to devote his energy and skill to issue-based writing and social issues. “The Nirbhaya case and knowledge about a true story of child abuse changed my perspective and thinking. They made me decide to concentrate on problems confronting us and contribute for a change in the society. ‘The Silent Scream’ is my first attempt in that direction,” he says.
The Rumour Books India publication deals with the widespread problem of child abuse with the aim to sensitise and create awareness among the general public. Targeting teenagers, the youth, parents and all the child abuse survivors it deals with the crime providing solutions and measures of handling and preventing it.
Besides the story that changed his writing, the author has included 10 more real life incidents in the book. He also met several doctors, counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists and NGOs dealing with the issue. “The purpose was not simply to narrate the incidents but also try to bring about a change in attitude, encourage people to speak and fight against the abuse as well alert both the children and parents. More importantly, I dealt with the taboo about sex education and lack of dialogue about it between parents and the child,” he explains.
He has identified the silence on the part of affected people as the main concern . Lack of meaningful communication and trust between children and parents does not allow the victim to express about the crime and a wound that could be nipped in the bud keeps festering. “It is the crux of the problem. I have underlined the importance of children’s innocence and the power wielded by the perpetrators, in the form of trust, confidence and the relationship that they enjoy,” comments Siddhartha.
The book makes a case for changes in the statutes on child abuse in respect of aspects including the age and gender of the culprit while pleading for imparting sex education in schools. “Initiation of these steps will lead to a movement in the direction of change,” he says. The ill-effect of adult material on Internet with its easy availability on different platforms, including mobiles, on children and teenagers, is emphasised by the writer. He feels that parents must speak to children about it. “Once their curiosity is addressed they will not be inclined to visit these sites.” The book concludes with a detailed note for the parents and the survivors on the subject and important information about organisations and NGOs.
Siddhartha’s next two books are “Maya”, a real life story of a rape victim and “Not Just a Love Story”, a murder mystery focusing on the punishment meted out to rapists.
