Posted:
Imagine the troubles this winter will bring to the poor and needy, specially the ones at the lowest point below the bottom line of poverty!
Indian winters can be chilly, specially in the northern and north-eastern parts. To have an idea of how poor a big share of Indians are, one does not have to be a genius.
We have street urchins all over Delhi. Just go to some of the more NICHE spots of the Capital, and you will be surrounded by them, often without cloth (of with rags, if lucky) asking for the left-overs you probably will have. They dont let anything go to waste.
These children often are abused to the extent which is difficult for some of us to imagine. They are catastrophically deprived. And they are in very high numbers, all over India. They penetrate even the most POSH of areas, and they cannot be just pushed away, perhaps due to their sheer numbers, their reality cannot be denied.
This winter many will die. Undoubtedly. Many will shiver and with hunger will tie stones to their tummies (very usual, to try and keep hunger away). Others will get cramps, frost-bites, or just loose their ability to remain alive. Some will pray to grow up, enough old to be able to manage some mercy (sometimes in return of letting themselves being abused).
Their mothers, as helpless as they are, will send them away to manage something for herself and themselves. They will wait outside the DELUX Cafe's of Delhi. For a glimpse of mercy.
From my personal experience, when I came Delhi first time after leaving for UK. I had Julia with me (she being a white, European)! Right when we came out of McDonalds and were about to get into our cars, she was surrounded by these angels, pulling her jacket, growing in numbers. Horrified she hurried to get into the car ... but her eyes later had tears. She felt for these kids ... That day I should've had those tears in my eyes. That day I felt ashamed. After all these years, now we found them again, different faces maybe, but they were the same angels in distress.
How can we, Indians, no matter where we are, manage to sleep cosy in our blankets ... while our children (yes they are our children) remain shivering in the streets. Their numbers being massive. Much more than our privileged next generation (who often remain unaware, or are taught to be indifferent).
Are we doing enough? Should we (I am not talking only about the government) consider ourselves as failures?
Where is solace? What is the color, of this winter?
Indian winters can be chilly, specially in the northern and north-eastern parts. To have an idea of how poor a big share of Indians are, one does not have to be a genius.
We have street urchins all over Delhi. Just go to some of the more NICHE spots of the Capital, and you will be surrounded by them, often without cloth (of with rags, if lucky) asking for the left-overs you probably will have. They dont let anything go to waste.
These children often are abused to the extent which is difficult for some of us to imagine. They are catastrophically deprived. And they are in very high numbers, all over India. They penetrate even the most POSH of areas, and they cannot be just pushed away, perhaps due to their sheer numbers, their reality cannot be denied.
This winter many will die. Undoubtedly. Many will shiver and with hunger will tie stones to their tummies (very usual, to try and keep hunger away). Others will get cramps, frost-bites, or just loose their ability to remain alive. Some will pray to grow up, enough old to be able to manage some mercy (sometimes in return of letting themselves being abused).
Their mothers, as helpless as they are, will send them away to manage something for herself and themselves. They will wait outside the DELUX Cafe's of Delhi. For a glimpse of mercy.
From my personal experience, when I came Delhi first time after leaving for UK. I had Julia with me (she being a white, European)! Right when we came out of McDonalds and were about to get into our cars, she was surrounded by these angels, pulling her jacket, growing in numbers. Horrified she hurried to get into the car ... but her eyes later had tears. She felt for these kids ... That day I should've had those tears in my eyes. That day I felt ashamed. After all these years, now we found them again, different faces maybe, but they were the same angels in distress.
How can we, Indians, no matter where we are, manage to sleep cosy in our blankets ... while our children (yes they are our children) remain shivering in the streets. Their numbers being massive. Much more than our privileged next generation (who often remain unaware, or are taught to be indifferent).
Are we doing enough? Should we (I am not talking only about the government) consider ourselves as failures?
Where is solace? What is the color, of this winter?
Bollywood
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