My father once told me “you should make your aspirations the people who are more fortunate than you and learn to live looking at people who are less fortunate than you.”
I wondered why my papa says so. Doesn’t he want me to get to the top? Doesn’t he want me to dream high? Does he still want us to be somewhere downs the line? I couldn’t get the answer to these questions then (might be because I could not think logically). But now as I go on the journey of life and see different people and different situations of life, I find his philosophy quite true. Yesterday I visited Balwadi, an NGO initiative. I saw the children over there. They were so innocent that when we took their pictures on a camera, they at first got scared and when we explained them what it was and showed them their recordings, they started posing for the pics. They would even out do the supermodels in giving pose (the most beautiful part not being their figure and body language, but their innocence and smiling faces). Can we imagine ourselves being in the school or college whole day, just for the sake of getting NASTA???... I don’t blame the NGO, because that is only what can help them getting the child to school. Never mind!!!! Let’s hope that one day they grow up to be good students, a good citizen and a good human being, who would provide their children good education and good life (by good life I don’t mean a lavish lifestyle).
The first thing I have noticed about these children of laborers, farm workers and dihari majdoors is that they are the happiest person in this world. I don’t know what for, but they are!! They sometimes lack the basic amenities, don’t get three meals a day, no proper clothes, no pocket money, no chocolates and all that we can’t do without. And still you would never see their face without a smile. Might be their situation have taught them to be happy, come what may. And I adore them for that. The second thing, few of them have an excellent memory and could grasp the thing at one go. No wonder why I wondered that in W.B., madhyamik toppers are mostly from the not so good to do family. They don’t have tuitions, no reference books, at times not even syllabus books, and the worst part they at times also have to work to support their family. Despite all these they manage to get above 98% in exams. I would never miss “JANPATH SAMACHAR” the day when results were declared, just because I wanted to read the stories of such guys. So humble they were that they never took the credit for their hard work. What most of them said was “it was all because of the help extended by my school teachers, principals and the blessings of my parents”. What an attitude!! HATS OFF TO THOSE GUYS!!!
I myself have at times tried to adopt their attitude, but as one can say, I failed!! I would maintain it for once, twice, thrice and at the fourth time, I would say myself “bahut ho gaya, enough is enough!!! I can’t keep on smiling and pretending to be happy, when I m not”. On introspecting the only reason I can find out for my getting angry was I WAS PRETENDING TO BE HAPPY, THEY ARE GENUINELY HAPPY. We want everything in life to lead a happy life; they need only life and can lead it happily anywhere, anyhow.
I respect my company, where I m doing my interns, for taking such initiative under the CSR policy and spreading happiness and hope to few of such people who really need it. I just hope that the chain goes on multiplying till it becomes so long that it could cover the whole of my “BHARAT”. Hoping for the best….
One song which would fit their attitude according to me is:
“Ruk jaana nahi tu kahi haarke
Kaaton pe chalke milenge saaye bahar ke…
O rahi…..o rahi…o rahi...o rahi”