Dear Hema Malini,
What happened last week was the stuff of nightmares. To be involved in a major collision on an Indian highway is scary and dangerous for everyone involved, no matter how big or small their car. But what you are going through right now is a cakewalk compared to the anguish of Chinni's parents. And at a time like this to be releasing insensitive tweets blaming a grieving father is not just callous but downright inexcusable.
We can debate for years whose fault it was. Was your Mercedes driving too fast? Did the Alto ease into the highway with proper caution? At this moment, these questions seem immaterial. Because regardless of which driver is to blame, I can say with certainty that it was definitely not Chinni's fault. Her life was senselessly lost, forever extinguished and she will never return to her parents. There will always be an empty seat at the family dinner table even when Chinni's favorite food is cooked and there will always be an empty bed even as her mother sits down to recite her favorite bedtime story. And no amount of monetary compensation will ever fill the void in her parents' hearts. As a mother with daughters of your own, it is unthinkable that you are choosing this moment of grief in what seems to be an attempt to free your conscience (and manage your public image) by blaming a father who has lost his youngest child.
I am willing to concede that you were also an injured party. You suffered a gash to your forehead and if the media pictures are anything to go by, you were bleeding profusely and were probably in a great degree of pain. It's also clear that you were not driving your car and your car too was hit badly. It was a terrible accident for both parties. I get it. Movie star or not, in that moment of vulnerability, you too were dependent on the kindness of someone to rush you to a medical facility. But was it so unthinkable to put that little girl in the car with you? What kept you from doing that? Was it the fear that you would be blamed if something happened to her on the way to the hospital?
As a Lok Sabha MP, I wish you would look at the larger picture in this situation. India has several hundred national highways that form the economic backbone of the country. These roads cover almost 96,000 km across India and there are several other ambitious roadways in the works. Along these major roads, there are thousands of accidents that happen involving countless Chinnis. Instead of senselessly ascribing blame to a grieving parent, wouldn't your star power be better used to mobilize lawmakers? As we add more roads, we need to add equally modern Emergency Medical Services to handle accidents and mishaps. The particular highway that you were on is a major artery between our national capital and the capital of one of our biggest states. It was not an obscure dusty village road and yet the emergency medical service provided was allegedly questionable at best. Wouldn't your time be better spent empowering our district hospitals with both the technology and the talent needed to save lives?
I was not there at the particular district hospital that Chinni and her family were eventually taken to but I'll go out on a limb to suggest it's likely a sleepy place with rusting beds, out-of-stock medicines and helpless personnel who can't do their job because essential equipment is missing.
You are a potent combination of politician and movie star which gives you access to both lawmakers and media - two forceful influencers.
Please launch a campaign or an initiative to address road safety and emergency service. At least that way, something positive can come out of this terrible tragedy. Because that's what a real Dream Girl would do.
Yours truly,
Neha J Hiranandani
A Concerned Citizen
(Neha J Hiranandani is a writer who lives between Mumbai and Dubai. Having worked for UNICEF and other development organizations across the world, she is deeply interested in creating access to quality education for children everywhere. Neha holds degrees from Wellesley College and Harvard University.)Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.