[Basil Fernando, Asian Human Rights Commission]

A mother burned the mouths of two children who were crying for food. The two children were girls, one and half and five years old. The mother has been arrested and is presently in remand custody. The incident took place on the 28th July at Awissawela.

A few months ago a mother threw one of her children into Kalu Ganga as she was no position to feed her children. At the same time another mother handed over her children to a court to get them into intuitional care, as she too was in no position to feed them.

This tragedy should be an eye opener for everyone. It is easy to blame this woman and even to call her a psychopath. That kind of name calling is the easy way that we often use to trick ourselves.

A mother being unable to deal with the demands for food of her very young children is one of the most difficult human situations. Motherhood is associated with idea of the giving of food and love. A mother feeds her children with her own milk.

There can be hardly any human suffering greater than that of a mother who is unable to deal with the hunger of her children.

That is the problem that we are confronted with in the situations associated with these incidents.

If society had not become so insensitive these mothers might even beg their neighbours to come to the assistance of their children. It is only when the feeling of helplessness is most desperate that the mothers resort to this kind of violence.

It is a very primitive type of ruthlessness that is embedded in our economic and political system that has created this situation. A ruthless society can make even mothers go insane.

About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.