The Judes of Kasur

I’ve read books over the past that have left quite a significant mark on my life but never thought I would end up penning my thoughts publicly for this one book, a book I picked randomly without even knowing what it was about. However, unlike all those other life-changing books, I haven’t recommended this book to anyone… until now. I still don’t know whether this post is to encourage you to read the book or to raise awareness about the children in Kasur or both. Although I am sure you can’t do one without thinking about the other.

Before I discuss this book, I’d like to draw your attention to what happened to the children in Kasur two years ago.

This is where the story about Kasur children broke out: http://nation.com.pk/E-Paper/lahore/2015-08-08/page-1

Some facts about the incident:

The abuse began in 2006 and continued until 2015. That’s 9 years of consistent abuse that resulted in one of the victims himself becoming an abuser.

More than 250 children were sexually and physically assaulted

These assaults were recorded and sold online

Parents of the children were blackmailed with threat to make these videos public if they don’t pay the perpetrators

Only 2 of these monsters involved in these heinous crimes have been given life imprisonment. The fate of rest is juggling between courts

Life imprisonment, not a death sentence, which I believe is the least of what they deserved

Another fact: these children may never recover from the trauma

Another fact: as per law, you will ONLY serve a maximum of 7 years for all the crimes mentioned above

Another fact: every day over 10 children are abused in Pakistan

Another fact: A prominent member of Pakistan’s ruling party and an ex-minister has been involved in COVERING UP the story so as to aid the criminals

Another fact: The Prime Minister doesn’t give a fuck about your children and he probably never will

Another fact: Child abuse is still rampant and it probably will thrive with politicians like Rana Scum of the Earth Sanaullah there to save the day for the bastards involved

If it were me, they would meet the same fate that awaited the infamous child murderer in late 90s, Javed Iqbal. The judge had initially given a unusual but not undeserving sentence of having him strangled and cut into 100 pieces in front of the parents of the murdered children.

While reading about Jude, Malcom, JB and Willem, I couldn’t not think about all of it. Jude, the smart, brave, innocent Jude and the children of Kasur. Were they to meet the same fate as him too?

Will they get to relive a part of his life, ‘The Happy Years’?

A little life; midway reading the book, I thought maybe the title is about how insignificant we think our lives are if we put into perspective everything that is going around us. But man did I get a shock of my life as the author explained to us what she really meant by the title and I wished she would have just stuck to the cliché.