Being Human – Too Much to Ask For?

Filth.

Uncivilized, diseased scum.

They sit where they like and they shit where they like. They carry illness and get in the way. Look at them! Sleeping on the pavement like it was made only for them. Spitting where they see fit and spraying surfaces with their muck.

Homeless, jobless morons! Why do they not work? Do they not have two legs and two hands?

Up until the last lines, I could have been talking about either street dogs or beggars on the streets. Both are common sights on the streets of India. The difference in my opinion, is that despite the hindrance the beggars might cause an action where they should be wound up, beaten or just put to sleep for it, would not find many takers. Why? Are human beings the only species that have the right to live, no matter how “undignified” their standard of living may be?

This is not to put all people into one, ignorant category. This is just to say that there are many individuals who regard strays to be beneath themselves as living creatures simply because they belong to a species that cannot mobilize itself into NGOs and awareness drives. Apparently, the fact that these are living, breathing, feeling creatures with fully equipped nervous systems that feel pain, hunger and joy are not enough to make the worth of their lives equal to ours.

I am not going to quote statistics about how many animals on the streets of India are abused annually or how many shelters for strays are actually up and functional or how much budget the state municipality allocates for them. My argument against cruelty towards animals is something very basic, something very intrinsically human; which is ironical because as human beings, it is humanity department where we seem to lacking most.

Taking the specific case of stray dogs in India, the basis for my appeal against cruelty towards them is not based on the fact that everyone must love dogs. We are all human and we have our own whims, fancies and fears. However, as the species whose claim to fame on the planet is the ability to feel pity and compassion and rise above the necessities of food, security and desire, is it not natural for us to have a basic respect for life?

Do we quarantine all the poor and homeless because they are less privileged and have to sleep on the streets? They make homes where they can and with what they can find. They eat what they find and by whatever means they find it. Is that not what these animals do as well? They do what they have to in order to survive. Is that not what we all basically do all of our lives? Why the discrimination, then?

The solution is not to beat and harass these animals and drive them away. The solution is also not to drag them up into a cramped trailer to be transported into a suffocating cage where it is not only freedom to move and fend for themselves that they lose, but it is the will to live that gets lost. Yes, a caged animal behaves the same way that a chained human would.

There is an acute need to create sensitization towards unclaimed and stray animals. An ideal situation would be no animals on the streets but in homes where they are well loved and cared for or in their natural habitat. However, that is NOT the current situation. Studies have found that merciless killing and hounding of strays only encourages unruly, dangerous and defensive behavior from them; and does NOT, in fact, result in reduction of their population on the streets. Sterilization and vaccination, meanwhile, DO result in the same.

Loud voices are raised when there are scams of dislocation and hazard to lives of people. Not to say that there are no voices against inconsiderate rounding up and dumping of strays, but these voices remain marginalized, not the front page news material – not for long anyway. A very simple gesture of consideration would go a long way. Proper shelters with the optimized use of resources allocated for the same, and adoption drives would go a long way. Respect for all things living and breathing would go a long way. You need look nowhere but inside – because being a little more human would go a long way. 

"Didi jab mere paas mobile aayega na, main aapko call karungi!"

November 7, 2014 - the last day of our Social Responsibility Project. The time we spent with them was limited, but the experience was not. Here is how the day unfolded.

It was not pre-decided but all of us reached earlier than we were supposed to. We went inside the empty premises, some talking some just walking, taking it all in - trying to consolidate it all in our heads probably. Shooting for a promotional video for Hamari Kaksha and Project Akanksha would be winded up today and so would our brief stint with this place and its children - for a while anyway.

The shooting had been a lot of fun, especially for the children. They were so taken by the presence of the camera that we had them rehearsing what they were going to say like stage actors! It was quite amusing, honestly. Mostly, we had captured them saying what they wanted to say, in their own words. What came out was a candid reflection of what these children thought about their their life's ambitions. Then there were always kids wanting to get clicked. The way their eyes lit up when we told them that their photos were going to be on the internet was something that melted our hearts. 

The day began with the usual - teaching and shooting. What was different though, was that every few minutes, Preeti or Manisha or Shalini or Deepak or someone would come and ask us if we were indeed leaving today. Their crestfallen expressions when we replied in affirmative was echoed in our yes too. 

Towards the end of the time, we requested Ms. Sangeeta to have all the children assemble at one place so we could say what we had wanted to tell all of them. She announced so and with the last twenty minutes left, there were children pulling thin rugs together on the ground to create a space where all of them could sit together. Within a few minutes, we had faces from all classes seated on the ground and looking at us expectantly.

We all said our thank yous and recounted how much we had learned from all of them. All of us reiterated the potential we had seen in the students there and how, in so many ways, they were all so much more diligent than even we had been at their age. Our lively audience applauded in pride, happiness and glee. Thereafter, we distributed the chocolates we had gotten for them and a football that would be kept in the premises for all the enthusiasts to play. 

Even numbers were exchanged; given, rather. Eager to stay in touch, many of our students asked us for our contacts, which we were only happy to give. From promises of messages and calls from their parent's phones to promises of calling whenever they got a phone were made over and over again. 

Once the hullabaloo of the crowd subsided, we had Preeti and her gang pulling us to the back of the ground where they made us stand in a huddle so we could not see what they were doing. The nest thing we knew, we were surrounded by a blur of little bodies, squeals and color. They had made us an entire bunch of farewell gifts!! There was a scrapbook of sorts with just drawings and pictures of things, a Mickey-Minnie Mouse wall stick on, a card and a big thermocol heart.

It was clear that none of these things were bought or new, and that is exactly what made it so special. That moment also made us realize how much of a difference any external support would make to their lives. These children had the creativity and willingness to find ways to learn. They had enough potential to be as good, or even better than someone who went to more high end educational institutions - all they needed was a little push, a little encouragement, a little facilitation by those who would be willing to provide it.

With that thought, an initiative like Project Akanksha seemed even more significant. We were glad that we could in our own small way, contribute to a cause so relevant and necessary. Education does turn lives around. And organizations like Hamari Kaksha move towards that transformation, one tiny step at a time, everyday. 

Dil hai chota sa, choti si... Akanksha

Much of our experience in the last few days has been as much of learning as we attempted to teach. Over the last week, we found ourselves growing extremely fond of the children at Hamari Kaksha. Their enthusiasm about life and work has not failed to amaze us and has indeed become a driving force for us, compelling us to put our heads together to do more than the designated volunteering - something that could help them in the longer run.

Speaking of the longer run, remember when we were little and someone asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up? Remember how your eyes either lit up with an answer? Or the worm like lines on your forehead as you wondered what you should pick from the options of a painter, astronaut, doctor or teacher? Remember the strength of a dream before you even knew what you had to do to get there?

We got around asking the children at the NGO what they wanted to be when they grew and the plethora of answers we got amazed us; the hope and gleam in their eyes endeared us. Army men and women, IPS and IAS officers, scientists and astronauts, dancers and singers, teachers and sportspersons - we had all of them right there.

Their enthusiasm was naive, hopeful and infectious. The organization only takes up this after school grooming of children till class 10. We spoke to Ms. Sangeeta, the in-charge of the branch, about what happens when the children pass out from class 10 and do not attend Hamari Kaksha anymore. Some students who are eager to study continue to be sincere. Here at Hamari Kaksha, they cater to individual needs of children who have difficulty in comprehension due to their basics being unclear and/or language barriers. Being unable to find this kind of individual attention, some students often get discouraged, lose interest and do not finish their education. Moreover, further education often exceeds the economics of the backgrounds many of them come from.

Between dreams and the outcome, there is a expansive sea called life. What makes all our different lives converge though, is the point where they meet. We have the ability to affect and touch each other's lives in ways big and small without even realizing it.

In the shortest time, this place, these children had touched our lives in an unforgettable way - which was one thing that drove us to try to do something to help these children realize their dreams. Hence was born the idea of Project Akanksha.

Through Project Akanksha we wanted to celebrate the hope and love that these children spread to everyone who comes in touch with them. We wanted to celebrate how bright their dreams shone despite all odds. Project Akanksha is drawn from a provision that Hamari Kaksha has, where people can sponsor a child's education for a year at a menial cost. So far, the association for this support extends till the child is in Hamari Kaksha. However, association after that is possible as well.

A gesture like this would go a long way in helping a child move one step closer to a better future. Each one of them has the potential of realizing this future, with a little help from you.

Details of the Project Akanksha - http:// on.fb.me/13r4eWP

"Didi aaj aap hamari class ko padhaana!"

Me: Preeti, tum ghar jaake kya karti ho?
Preeti: ghar jaake, main aadha - ek ghanta hath-muh dhoti hoon, fir main bacchon ko tuition padhaati hoon.
Me: Kya? Tum aur bacchon ko padhati ho?
Preeti: Haan, A B C D vagera. chote bacchon ko. Fir unko 7.30 - 8 tak chorhti hoon.
Me: Accha fir padhai karti ho?
Preeti: Nahi, padhai toh yahin karti hoon. fir mummy ki help karti hoon, khaana khaate hain aur so jaate hain. 
Me: Accha, khelte nahi ho?
Preeti: Nahi, ghar jaake kabhi nahi khelti. sunday ko shayad thoda time ho, tabhi. Baaki jo khelna hota hai, wo yahin hota hai. 

Ghar jaake time nahi milta na. 

 ***

As soon as my car pulled into the premises of Government Nursery School at 3 pm, I was greeted with eager smiles and waves even before I could get out of the car. When I did, I was immediately flanked on both sides by children saying, "good afternoon didi!! Aaj toh aap padhaoge na humein?" Soon we went inside and before I knew it, a chair had been brought for me, I was seated on it and these curious little children were all around me, chattering away.

Before the classes started, Preeti and gang clicked pictures with my phone while some other classmates of hers - Prabhjeet and gang pondered of the specification of my phone - "didi ek baar phone palatnaa. Dekh 8 megapixel hai!" "Oh accha front camera se kheench rahe ho!" "Arre ye SAMSUNG hai! Dekh!" "didi mujhe aapka pattern lock samajh aa gaya!" "accha mujhe phone do na please, main photo kheechungi!"

The hullabaloo aside, we spoke to the kids about their backgrounds. When I asked them what their parents did, that was the only time I saw the tiniest bit of hesitation in their eyes as they looked at each other as if contemplating. Most of them are children of drivers, housemaids, factory workers, rickshaew pullers etc.  Once they started talking about them though, the hesitation vanished and they seemed eager to tell me about what they did after they went back home from here.

The above conversation hapened then. And Preeti only about 13 years old. Thereafter, others pitched in. the conversation then turned to cooking. They talked among themselves about how they cooked at home and they are all in the age bracket of 10 to 13 years. AND they are talking about full fledged cooking, cleaning as part of their routine. They do not sound unhappy about it either. They don't complain that the work interferes with their studies. They score well in their exams too, they tell me. Most of them only study after school at Hamari Kaksha.

There were many surprising and wonderful things that we discovered. Firstly, there were at least three children from a different class each who came to each one of us and requested that we teach their class today. I mean, they barely knew us, let alone how we would be as teachers! And let's face it, we have been exposed to a very different style of teaching than what them and what they require. Yet, they were so keen to have us - without prejudice and without hesitation.

Morover, they were so eager to study. I remember going around the back to drink water after finishing one chapter with the class 7 students when these two little boys came to me and said, "didi aap humein padha do!" This was towards the last half an hour too. While going back, Ankita from class 4 came running towards me for the third time and told me, "didi aap kal humein pakka padhaana!" THEN, Tanisha from class 7 came and grabbed my hand, "didi main aapko dhoond rahi thi! Chalo chapter khatam karna hai!"

My other teammates saw the same enthusiasm and interest from the kids. Karan, Prateek and Anoop helped Preeti write a poem on 'corruption' which was due in her day school today. What she came up with was a simple reflection of her own hope and potential. It was heartening.

We taught them for the first time. Their willingness to learn is stunning, as if they want to absorb as much as they can and showcase what they know without the fear of embarrassment and mistakes. Where one might say they lack in pronunciation, they more than make up with their efforts. Besides, who is to say that they must all have impeccable diction?

We realized that there is a lot more to learn from the children and this humble, diligent organization than we had anticipated. My teammates and I agreed on the fact that some of them spoke better than how many of us did at their age. They worked harder than we did. They were more willing to learn than we were. Why? Maybe because they understood the value of what they had better than we did because it was scarce; and we didn't, because we never felt the scarcity.

"Didi, aap mere sath dance karoge?"

Her name is Preeti and she is in class 7. She is a student of an NGO in Chandigarh called Hamari Kaksha, which seeks to provide help to underprivileged students - both academic and holistic - after school. She claims her favorite subject to be English and least favorite to be Maths because "wo sab bhool jaati hai." She is chirpy, enthusiastic, bright and a brilliant dancer. Dancer? How do I know this on my first day itself with the NGO? Here's how.

When my team and I FINALLY found the school where Hamari Kaksha held after school classes, we stepped out of the car and were greeted by a sight of a small crowd of children playing outside the Government school, waiting for the class to start. One of the boys was attempting to ride a bicycle on the back tyre alone, hoisting the front tyre in the air with this arms. Others were chasing, giggling, laughing and chatting in small groups.

As we approached - tentatively - for none of us were particularly confident of ourselves as teachers or at handling teenage government school children, the attention of the children seemed to shift slightly. They knew there were strangers among them. They continued to do what they were doing, throwing us an occasional glance as we huddled together as a group of five post graduation communication students.

We entered the premises soon after and while we waited for the person in-charge to arrive, we sat on benches at one end of area, so as to observe and acclimatize ourselves with this unfamiliar environment with now growing number of incoming students who seemed to be glancing at us, pointing us out in the distance. Attempting to brainstorm our objectives for the next ten days for which we would be associated with the NGO, we took notes and discussed how we could apply managerial and/or communication strategies to do our bit for the organization.

While we were busy discussing what we were supposed to be doing as post graduate communication students, I saw a blur in the corner of my eye and the next thing I knew, a little girl with neatly braided hair stood in front of me with her hand outstretched,

"Hello didi, what is your name?"

Her eyes twinkled and her smile was warm. "Geetika, and yours," I replied. "Preeti," she said as I shook her hand. This animated young girl told us she was in class 7 and asked us whether we would be teaching them. She asked us all our names and where we were from and how long we would be there. She asked us lots of questions and as conversed with this happy little thing, we found ourselves getting more and more at ease. Soon, there were three other friends of hers there, just as chirpy and eager to talk to us. They were sitting with us, speaking in their high pitched little voices and we found ourselves laughing and smiling with them, our prejudices and inhibitions melting away.

We spoke to the teacher in-charge and  then classes started thereafter, in small batches on the ground itself. We walked around trying to observe and assess first (as per our objectives as post graduation communication students). Students from classes Nursery to class 10, learning names of body parts, salutations in English or poring over their books, scribbling away in their notebooks, and running to their teachers with their questions and answers. Their enthusiasm was heartening; so was their friendliness to us. Every student we spoke to, was well mannered, warm and enthusiastic.

At the end of the day, two things happened. Our prejudices and inhibitions about working with such students had evaporated. We had found ourselves willing to get closer and understand these kids and how they communicated - amongst themselves, with their studies and with their teachers - not only as post graduation communication students, but as people who saw some reflection of themselves in these children. They were not so different from how we were, contrary to our previous perceptions. We were faced by an different socio-economic and educational reality and we had our own notions about it, till these children actually broke our walls.

Secondly, we felt like we had a connection with these children. By the end of those two hours that we were there, some of us had played ball with these children, some of us had spoken to their teachers, who happened to have been schooled here itself and were now volunteering to teach here as well, some of us had pictures clicked with them and some of us even danced with them. This hardworking, hopeful, talented lot had made us feel like a part of their team in such a short period of time. It felt amazing and for me, it left me feeling content and hopeful.

There was a bright gleam in their eyes, a spark in the way each of them confidently greeted us - "Hello didi! Wassup?" or "Hi didi aap kya karte ho?" or "Didi ye na bohot shaitaan hai! Dekho do ladkiyon ke beech mein baitha hai!!". There was a welcoming pull in their midst that made us want to know their likes and dislikes, where they came from and whether they liked to sing or dance. There was a comfort that their company made us feel that made us feel elated when they pulled on our hands and asked us to join in in their games. They put genuine, happy smiles on our faces and made us feel more determined to know more and do more for them, in whatever time we had with them.

For me and another teammate of mine, Rupali, the time at the NGO ended with Preeti and her friends pulling us towards the back of the classroom.

"Didi aap mere sath dance karoge?"

When I asked them where we would get the music, she replied simply by saying, "aapke phone mein hoga na gaana! Koi bhi chala do!" And so we danced! Preeti danced and I followed. Her friends laughed and danced around us and we found ourselves feeling like one of them, no longer strangers. As Balam Pichkaari came to an end, we found ourselves holding hands with these little girls and walking out with them while they extracted reassurances from us that we would come again the next day. After a warm group hug, they walked their way while we made our way to the car.

Reflecting on what how short this experience, the fact that it made us feel refreshed, hopeful and determined while it did away with our tiny, inconsequential inhibitions, how it opened us up to possibilities and how wonderful we were feeling by the end of it, it made us all the more eager to work with Hamari Kaksha and more than anything, the children.

Eyes shining bright,
Smiles full of life,
They made us their own,
In almost no time.
And now as I head back
I can only think 
About tomorrow when I
Will come back again.
For that infectious hope,
And to seek that start,
That comes from within,
These beautiful little hearts.

Not Today

It was a beautiful day on the hill. The sun shone from the clouds after the rain and the breeze felt cool. The green looked lush and gay on the trees as they swayed with the wind. The leaves rustled and crickets chirped.

Her face, though, still seemed to reflect the gloom of the grey clouds. She sat on the top step of the Amphitheater, but felt like she had hit rock bottom. Her eyes still rained a little, as she sat at her favorite place on the hill, completely alone. She loved how she could see the city from up here. On happier days it felt like she could fit all those tiny cars in her hand and shut one eye and place her hand in the air as if the sun was contained in the circle of thumb and her fingers. 

But, not today.

Her fingers ran over her phone in her lap. She seemed to be struggling with herself. Then it seemed like a part of her won and she reached for the phone and opened the last text message.

*You’ll understand when you are older. Your father and I have taken this decision after a lot of thought. It’s for the best.*

She ran her finger over each line, reading the words had just put unbridgeable schism in her world. Just like that. The wind seemed to fall quiet as a dry sob echoed in the amphitheater. She angrily wiped her cheeks and exited the text message. Missed calls from the entire day filled her call log. Her hand trembled as she kept the phone face down beside her, and then it joined the other one in her lap, fingers twisting together.

Her head came up with a jerk when she heard scuffling and squeaking behind her. Why, it was Scamper, the stray dog. He saw her and let out a whine. As he scuttled towards his favorite human, she turned away and looked at the city below. On days when she bounded through her days like a light-hearted breeze, and her eyes twinkled like the lights she saw below, she would have smiled and played with him. 

But, not today.

She got up and she stamped her foot and yelled to scare him away. “Not today!” she screamed. Her voice echoed from everywhere but she didn’t care as hot tears began to spill down her cheeks. Scamper stopped in his tracks with a jerk, his furiously wagging tail losing gusto and becoming limper as she continued to shout at him. 

His eyes and hesitating steps showed the confusion that was probably in her head. 

Finally, she stopped. Her hand gripped her throat as her chest rose and fell rapidly. He still stood there, watching her warily. Her knees gave in and she fell into kneeling position. Dry sobs escaped her throat and her head hung low. The city, the sky, the wind, the music – things that she loved and felt right here, now felt so far away. 

Tentatively, Scamper came closer to her. As she lifted her hand to wipe her tears, Scamper winced, thinking the hand would land on him, as so many others had before.

But never hers. Not even today.

Scamper nudged the side of her face with his muzzle. He trotted around her and licked her limp hand. She did not respond. What was wrong? He then stood right in front of her, tentatively wagging his tail, coming closer to her with unsure steps. He could tell something was wrong.

She looked up and saw his eyes at level with her face – looking, searching. 

Then she put her arms around his neck and buried her face in her hands. With loud, cathartic sobs, she found the release that had been choking her throat so far. Scamper stood there, and then without moving, he sat down, letting her hold him and cry – not understanding why, but still being solidly there. She continued to cry as the sun set disappearing into the horizon, finally feeling some warmth at someone not asking questions, because there were so many in her head. 

She held her dog and wept, while her phone lay face down and flashed with *Ma calling*

But, not today.

Beginnings

It is we, who have taken to the arts, the aesthetics, the unknown and the unexplored
We, who look at the sky for hours and smile for no reason
We, who find poetry in the flutter of a butterfly's wings or the pitter-patter of raindrops
We, who look for meanings in mundane movements
We, who  decipher the codes of the eyes and the curve of the lips
We, who take our hearts too seriously and our whims too literally,
We, who look for patterns in the dirt,
We, who find lives and loves in dusty bookshelves and silent places,
It is we, who look for connections and circles,
It is we, who look everywhere for beginnings.