In a distressing incident in Gurugram, Sector 57, a 25-year-old state-level tennis player, Radhika Yadav, was shot dead by her own father, Deepak Yadav. According to the police, her father confessed he was disturbed by the villagers' remarks on her daughter's character and constant teasing, by saying he was living on her daughter's money.
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| Radhika Yadav (Image source: X) |
What happened?
She had a bright future and a hope to teach her skills to others who shared the same dreams. Radhika Yadav, a state-level tennis player, a coach to many, and a figure who could have become an inspiration to many others, was killed by her own father because she refused when her father ordered her to shut down her academy. What was her fault?
The answer to this question is beyond understanding. She had been running a tennis academy against her father's will, against the people around her, and against the society that cherishes patriarchy. Against all odds, she chose what she liked, what satisfied her ambitious soul, and in what she saw her future in. But she couldn’t succeed in it, before her wings could touch the sky, she was killed by her protector, her own father.
A double standard
Allegedly, her father was bullied by a society that lives by double standards, where they cherished even a small achievement of their son but got threatened by their daughters. According to media reports, Radhika Yadav’s father, Deepak Yadav, said, "When I used to go to Wazirabad village to get milk, people used to taunt me, saying that I live off my daughter's earnings. The situation troubled me a lot. Some people even questioned my daughter's character. I told my daughter to close her tennis academy, but she refused."
And I’m very sure these words, many fathers who cherished their daughters' dreams, have heard once or many times. This is not something surprising for an Indian father who stood against everything and raised her daughters to be independent. Unfortunately, we live in a society of double standards, where every milestone our sons reach is applauded, yet our daughters' strength is met with discomfort, doubts, or indifference, and deepens the society’s insecurities.
As a woman
It breaks my heart, as a woman, as a daughter, to live in a society that doesn’t celebrate our achievements but seeks to strangle them into silence.
She wasn’t rebelling. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. She simply found joy and identity in the sport she loved. Yet, her pursuit of happiness, her decision to step beyond the traditional boundaries, threatened so many and became the reason for her execution.
This is not just a singular act of cruelty. It is the reflection of a much deeper societal rot. When a father believes that his "honor" is threatened by his daughter's independence, her achievements, and her desire to live her life on her own. It’s not just a family failure; it’s a societal failure. This is not about one man losing control; it’s about a culture that has long dictated the role of women and that has long defined “respect” through control, obedience, and silence.
And this brings us to a burning question that arises with every such incident:
"At how many fronts does a girl have to fight for herself?"
At home, for the right to education, for the right to choose her path.
In schools, for equal treatment, for dignity, for encouragement.
In society, for the right to be respected as an individual, not as someone’s daughter, sister, or wife.
In her own mind, to believes that she is enough, that her dreams are valid.
This constant warfare against prejudice, control, and injustice is exhausting. And sometimes, like in this horrifying case, the battle becomes fatal.
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