....them children
My work today took me to Karunalaya a home for street children in North Chennai's Tondiarpet. As I was leaving the place, a bunch of children came rushing to shake hands with me. "Miss...Auntie...Akka...Madam," they called me as they pleased, for a handshake. I can't forget that little boy who refused to give me his hand and instead joined his palms together to say 'Namaste'.
As I was listening to the director talking of runaway children, telling how children who ran away from their homes were rescued and grew in homes, sometimes happened to reunite with their parents, my memory took me to 1999 to an incident that has left a deep impact on my mind.
I was sitting in an MTC bus at Parrys Corner. A cycle rally by a political party halted all traffic for two hours. I had to be on time for a function where I was to be given an award by the Animal Welfare Board of India for an exclusive story about 30 dogs and pups that were killed in Porur Town Panchayat.
In the 17 M bus that was ready to leave, one girl (at first I thought it was a boy), just wearing a shirt, full of dirt, nose running, was walking inside the bus. Many shunned her because she was dirty and smelling. The driver also insisted that she get off the bus at a couple of unscheduled stoppings. I was watching all this for some time.
The moment I had to get off at the LIC bus stop to reach the Indian Express office, where I was working then, this thought flashed my mind: "What if my son was in the place of this child?" I decided then that it was OK even if I reached late to the award function. I caught hold of this girl. She wouldn't listen. I had to use the threat of "Police!" and made her walk up with me to the Indian Express office. I told my friends about this and they came up with all the help and soon she was sent to Childline home for destitute children. My friend carried a small report about this incident in the paper. I reached on time for the function too!
I forgot about the whole thing. Next week, the girl came with her parents. They were in tears of joy at finding their daughter. The girl who was suffering from down's syndrome just walked out of the house when her parents were away and happened to board a bus and was lost.
A friend of theirs spotted the news item in Indian Express and traced the girl who was kept at a children's home in Kilpauk. And till last year, the family has called on all of us who had a part in getting Indra Priyadarshini back to her parents on her birthday, November 19 and celebrated with sweets.
Today when I heard of some stories by Mr. Paul Sundar Singh, Director of Karunalaya of how children get back to their parents or how they are picked up at railway stations and bus depots by social workers and sent to children's homes and taken care of, I thought - that's how the God within protects these innocent ones.
*****
10 comments:
swahilyaji
Kindly reduce the font size
its too big and also change color to something
its too glaring.
thanks
One of my aunts friends works for THE HINDU in chennai, he adopted an 8 year old 4 years back. I had visited him with my aunt before I came here to the US and he was telling us about the child. "she is a revelation" he said. He had been watching her every action with amazement. She washed her own clothes, tidied up and even made her own bed. I was listening to all this very silently and on my way back I couldnt help thinking "HOW LUCKY WE ALL ARE"...
swahilya,
You should be proud of yourself, for bringing joy to a whole family.inspiring.Great work, keep it up.
as ganesh said it wold be nice if you kept a constant font size and color for all your posts.
Ganesh: Thank you. I put this font thinking it would be easy on the eye. The colour choice is also selected on the energy vibrations of the particular thought I post on - if it is Sahasrara, I use violet and the energy is Mooladhara - it is earthy, red or brown etc. But I think I'll stick to grey colour and normal font size.
Robbie: Yes We are lucky. But what I have said in this blog is nobody is unlucky. Whatever the situation, the protection is always there for certain.
Senthil: Thank you. I'll set my mind to changing the font and colours.
Dear Swahilya
A very empathetic and kind deed despite having your schedule to receive an award. You were a God sent person to help that child.
N.Paul Sunder Singh
Thanks for dropping here Mr. Paul. In fact, that incident was a major step in my self searching process.
Swaha.
hey swaha,
that was a fantastic gesture on ur part.Children are god's own favourite. how much ever dirty they are or smelly.
was truly touched. besides compassion, that gesture of urs needs a lot of courage and sense of duty. proud of u.keep it up.
lakshmi
Thanks Lakshmi!
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