Marketing the Disabled

Since there is a large fair in Bolpur on the occasion of Christmas,known locally as "Poush Mela", I went to see the fair. It was pretty large and well managed. As I was walking in, due to the crowd that was jostling from every side, I was looking ahead and walked, trying to avoid as much of pushing as possible. Suddenly I tumbled on something, and I almost fell over. When I looked back, I was shocked. There was a woman, on a wooden bed of about 1.5 ft wide, 4 ft long and about 1 ft high. The lady had just two limbs. Soon, as I walked around the fair, I saw at least three more persons, with one or two limbs missing in similar "beds" just in the middle of people's way. Certainly they could not have come there by themselves. So who brought them in? I began to ponder! And who is gaining out of bringing them in and taking them out? Something is really messy there, in this land of Rabindranath Tagore, just within the university complex started by the national poet. It is shame that people are marketing disability instead of giving dignity to these people. Someone should take action against this sheer shameless marketing of people's disability. This is nothing less than generating a beggary market. Hope the Chairman of Bolpur Municipality, the law enforcement authorities and the University administration is listening. And before we end, being the eve of Christmas let me wish everyone  

Very Happy Christmas!

Kids Have it Big

Sunday, 18 Dec 2011. Location Aminpur, near Bahiri, a little known tribal village near Bolpur. We three of us from CKS reached the village in the morning, and the children and villagers had been informed that there will be a small sports event in view of the Christmas and New Year on the anvil. We were delighted by the enthusiasm of children and the time went flying! In about three hours with the children and some of the villagers, we had won their heart, and they loved the fun. The winners were given prizes. There was an interesting twist in the games. Except for two of them, all others had some mental exercise along with the physical game. For example the little kids while running a 100 meter race had to stop at 50 meter point, identify the animal in the picture, write it in Bangla language and then complete the race. The older ones had a simple mathematical calculation to complete in a 200 meter race! This made it more interesting for children as the competition became a learning point as well. 

A week back, a drawing competition had been held as well for those children who are getting special educational support from our organization, and those children too received prizes. The joy is in giving. As the saying goes, the smell of a flower remains in the hands of the giver.