Friday, May 22, 2020

The vulture and the little girl.

Remember the picture? The name of the picture was "The vulture and the little girl".

In the picture, a vulture is waiting for the death of a hungry little girl. Kevin Carter, a South African photojournalist, captured the March 1993 famine in Sudan. He was awarded the Pullitzer Prize for the film. But Carter committed suicide at the age of 33, despite receiving so much respect.

But what was the reason for suicide?

In fact, when he was busy celebrating such a great honour at the time, the news of his receiving the award was being shown  on various TV channels. At that time someone asked in a phone interview what happened to the girl in the end?

Carter replied that he could not say because he was in a hurry to catch his flight.

"How many vultures were there?" He asked again.

"I think there was one", Carter said. The man on the other end of the phone said, "I'm saying there were two vultures that day, one of them with a camera".

Realising the significance of these words, Carter became upset and eventually committed suicide.

It should be humane to get anything in any situation. Carter would be alive today if he had taken the starving baby to the United Mission's feeding center, which was only 1/2 mile away, where the baby might have been trying to reach.

Today, 26 years later, the vultures are still returning home from all over India with cameras in their hands, busy taking pictures of workers walking thousands of kilometres. There is no holding even after seeing the children.

These vultures are more concerned with gathering news, with increasing channel TRP, than with worrying about workers' deaths. They are busy collecting breaking news by pouring spices on the bodies of dead workers and children.

Kevin Carter had self esteem, so he committed suicide. But the vultures named after this journalist are busy making breaking news with dignity.


Tailpiece.

Had got up at our usual time, the chores and was ready by 9. Both of us took turns for our exercises on our new toy - the bicycle. Seemed like a Sunday due to Suma's absence. The Faber rep had returned to fix up the new bulb on the chimney.

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