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Ruchira Gupta, renowned for her work around Apne Aap – an organization aimed at stopping the sex trafficking of young girls in the red light region of Bihar, India. Gupta has helped thousands of girls, and given them shelter within the Apne Aap foundation, as a metric to achieve their own dreams. However, previously Gupta has also been the receiver of an Emmy award-winning documentary, “The Selling of Innocents.” Recently, Ruchira Gupta published a middle grade fiction novel by the name of “I Kick and I Fly,” about a 15 year old girl named Heera who (even in the midst of the red light zone in her hometown), finds her voice through participation in Kung Fu. Growing up as a Nat woman (of lower class), Heera believes that her fate is to become a child prostitute, as her family’s economic situation is extremely dire, and they are in need of income However, as time progresses, Heera realizes that she has another option…kung fu – which provides her access to her own individual dreams.
There were many aspects of this book I enjoyed : the plot, the depth of the characters, and the way it dealt with serious topics while still being tailored towards middle schoolers. However, one of my favorite aspects of this book was the feminist character development that took place, specifically regarding Heera and her mother. Towards the beginning of the book, we see Heera as an extremely shy, reserved and quiet individual. She isn’t able to stand up to her father, who is pressuring her to have her Bisi Bele (a ceremony where girls are bought and sold). Heera accepts her fate with resignation, knowing that her time will come, and tries to enjoy the moments with her family. However, once she picks up Kung Fu, flipping back to the end of the novel, we see her doing things outside both her and her father’s comfort zone. For instance, during her Kung Fu training camp invitational in New York, she makes the decision to rescue her friend Rosy (another victim of child prostitution). Not only does this apply to Heera, but it also applies to her mother. At the beginning of the novel, Heera’s mother played a small role in deciding the outcome of Heera’s future. Heera’s father made all the decisions, and instead of standing up to him, Heera’s mother preferred not to antagonize him, and rebelled through passive methods. However at the end of the book, Heera’s mother is a constant decision maker in the family. She takes part in decisions about Heera’s internships and future, rebelling actively, and even sometimes arguing with Heera’s father if necessary. What was a scenario of verbal abuse towards Heera’s mother, she turned into a healthy relationship.
Reading this book was a window into the lives of hundreds of girls at the red light zone in India. It helped me understand what these girls went through – and how desperately they needed help. However, this book is far from a pity story. Rather, it’s the opposite : because it convinces girls that our body and our minds are treasures…they help us pursue our dreams. .
