Last week, the nation was shocked when a young tennis star was shot dead by her father pumping four bullets into her back while she was in the kitchen preparing food- most probably for him as her mother was indisposed.
His justification was that people in the village were mocking him for living off his daughter and she refused to listen to him on closing down the tennis academy. Whatever be the reason, the fact remains that in our country we give a lot of importance to ” Log kya Kehange?”
The ‘log’ here can encompass people ranging from the ubiquitous relatives, neighbours, friends and to passers-by.
I remember another story that I often shared in my class. The story goes:
A farmer came into town and asked the owner of a restaurant if he could use a million frog legs. The restaurant owner was shocked and asked the man where he could get so many frog legs! The farmer replied, ‘There is a pond near my house that is full of frogs – millions of them. They all croak all night long and they are about to make me crazy!’ So the restaurant owner and the farmer made an agreement that the farmer would deliver frogs to the restaurant, five hundred at a time for the next several weeks
The first week, the farmer returned to the restaurant looking rather sheepish, with two scrawny little frogs. The restaurant owner said, ‘Well… where are all the frogs?’ The farmer said, ‘I was mistaken. There were only these two frogs in the pond. But they sure were making a lot of noise!
Next time you hear somebody criticizing or making fun of you, remember, it’s probably just a couple of noisy frogs. Also remember that problems always seem bigger in the dark. Have you ever laid in your bed at night worrying about things which seem almost overwhelming like a million frogs croaking? Chances are pretty good that when the morning comes, and you take a closer look, you’ll wonder what all the fuss was about.
A video of Sandeep Maheshwari too made a great impact during the sessions on soft skills.
Do watch this video for better understanding.
If only the father of the young girl who lost her life had remembered the famous song of Kishore Kumar set to the music of R D Burman and picturized on Rajesh Khanna, Kuch toh log Kahenge, Logon ka kaam hai Kehana, she might have made him proud and more importantly- lived and loved.
This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.
22 comments
The reference ofdevastating real-life incident of the father killing his daughter over “Log kya kahenge.” made that syndrome feel terrifyingly real to me, not just theoretical and the connecting frog story reminded me how often we all let a few loud voices shape our actions, even when those whispers can lead to tragic decisions in the worst case.
I love how your stories help us understand the context more deeply. What happened to the tennis player is truly sad and brutal. Allowing others to shape your decisions can be one of the most damaging things we do to ourselves.
That really is a powerful story! Loved it.
That tennis player incident was too shocking. There are mixed reports though on why the father shot her. But I do agree, ‘log’ are nothing but minor irritants and need to be treated that way, with a deaf ear. You can’t live your life on other people’s jealousies and pettiness.
Such a beautiful and pwoerful message delivered so simply.
Your thoughts are so beautifully explained through stories video. Your storytelling is so amazing I remember all of your blogs I read!
A daughter being murdered by her father because of others taunting him – that news haunted me for days. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I loved reading the Frog story, and I will remember it for a long time to come.
This “Logon” in our lives who enter as ” Mitrons” and croak like those frogs. to make our lives a messy and slimy pond, should be left as they are, just little brainless amphibians.
I love how “The Frogs That Often Croak” uses that simple pond parable to brilliantly demolish our “log kya kahenge” obsession, just a handful of noisy critics, not the whole world. It’s a sharp reminder that problems shrink in daylight and courage grows when we stop letting a couple of croaks steer our lives.
This story reminds me how often we let small voices drown our peace. Like those noisy frogs, worries feel huge at night but shrink in daylight’s clarity. Such a powerful lesson!
What a powerful story to remember! Indeed, problems crop up in the dark and vanish during the day, or so it seems. Perhaps, we should learn to be patient and think before we act; that can solve a lot of problems.
Yes, this news had me stressed for days, but I still feel the real motive behind the murder hasn’t come to light yet.
What a powerful message in the simplest terms! Mind blowing!
I am reading a book by Fredrik Backman -The answer is No.
It’s introductory pages were selling the idea that a happy man is someone who does not need people and their opinions.Your post reflects a similar sentiment, we being social animals and living in a society , have to go by the rules set by it.But with the advent of digital age, we do not need people as much as we did earlier.Money and wifi can solve most of our problems. In fact I feel opinions are nw only used to divide people.The video and the reference to the tragedy just made the message more impactful.
That incident was shocking and too sad. Imagine a promising sportsperson losing out on life and so many opportunities because of her insecure father getting worked up by others’ silly talks. The story is short but on point.
The incident of the tennis player being killed by her own father is so disturbing, it reflects how deeply the fear of society’s judgment can poison minds. The frog story is so powerful, sometimes it’s just the noise that feels louder than it actually is. A much-needed reminder to stop letting “log kya kahenge” control our lives.
Yes, too much of kuch to log kehenga… takes the lives of millions of kids. I will not deny that my parents were also of the same belief…. Samaj namka koi ciz ha ki nahi? I used to say kya ap nahi rahoga ya samaj mera dhyan rakhna ayega? Mujha khud hi jina parega.
That case of the father shooting his daughter really had me reeling and wondering about where we’re headed as a race. Thanks for the recall on that story; a tale I grew up reading and listening to
Such a poetic and uplifting read! I appreciated the way you wove the frogs’ croak into a metaphor for perseverance and community. It’s a wonderful nudge to listen closely and learn from the natural world around us. Truly thought‑provoking!
That’s a wonderful message that people need to understand. Thanks for sharing this.
It is such heartbreaking news! I can’t get over it, you know! I love the story you shared of the frogs and it is often true!
This story really stayed with me. It reminded me how easily negativity can seep in if we’re not careful. A powerful reminder to listen less to the croaking and more to our hearts.