A programme telecast in the morning on Lok Sabha TV [10 February 2014], while surfing for
channels, arrested my attention. The programme appeared like a Documentary on
lives of slum dwellers in India’s capital. The following remarks which the dwellers made when questioned by the
presenter, stole my peace of mind for
a couple of days.
* How can they call us ‘dirty’ when our women enter their
kitchen and wash the plates for them...? Won’t that plates be dirty too?
*Why do they come seeking the help of our sorcerers and astrologers...Why do
they live in fear?
*They drove us out of places we were living and built
parks for children. Now their children
play in the park and our children are
not allowed... because they are dirty!
*If one boy
from this colony is caught for
involvement in a crime, the Police raid his
house and ransack it without a warrant...Even the women are not
spared. They say we are nurturing criminals. Now...don’t the children of the
rich commit crime too?
*They have taken away everything we had. And in winter we don’t
have blankets to keep us warm.... We
will have to use plastic sheets...
* They say begging is a
crime... How can that be?... We beg because we have nothing... How can begging
be a crime...??
I couldn’t
continue any longer and I
switched off the TV...feeling guilty at the
cushy life I am leading...
I asked myself ...do we ever care to teach our children that
real happiness comes when we
serve and help the needy....
Didn’t this country give the
world the message....
lOka samasta
sukhinO bhavantu
May all beings, everywhere,
be happy and free.
Well...
how many Indian teachers try to
make their students imbibe the spirit of such message
which brings peace on earth...?
Do post your valuable comments....
