My thoughts traveled way back from the world of belief where a clarification I made and satisfied myself. Then I again went into my studies for my fourth paper from where I left before the lunch. Next day it was 6’o clock in the evening just came into my room after giving my exam. My long continues hard work of last day worked and my paper went good. Now a last paper and two more stays in Bhopal was left but a little bit mawkish I felt because the street atmosphere I got here it was tempting and mind blowing. The days went made me connected with the streets and people residing here now to leave this place was the toughest job I felt I have to do. Any way after an hour between 7 and 7:30 as my routine I was planned to move for my usual walk and at the end a dinner at that Chinese stall. So before that I took a nap because I was totally tired from the long travel I made in a tightly stuffed auto rickshaw from my college till this lodge.
Somehow one hour passed and I woke up with my struggling hands then any how I readied myself and I was there on the streets again. Illuminated bulbs of street lights and shops exhibited that market is still busy in selling their products but soon the market will close down for the next coming day. Crossing the street I reached at my usual spot at temple square for dinner in that Chinese stall and took a seat by ordering fried rice. As I was noticing from last many days that these Assami guys are earning huge from this Chinese stall. The coming and going passers in a curiosity took pause at this stall to taste this Chinese food and later on they become their regular customers as I had become. It was because these guys are from north eastern state of India and the people from this state are really good in cooking especially Chinese food. It arrived in India from our neighboring country china and these north eastern state people who live nearby border of china took it as their business of Chinese foods and now it is widely spread all over India in form of these kind of stalls by these peoples that is now common and cheaply available in various part of the streets.
The fried rice that I am going to have can be called as indo Chinese food. In this the major ingredient is rice specially basmati rice half cooked in which finely chopped veggies are added like carrot beans spring onions button mushrooms spice star anise capsicum garlic cabbage leaves few boiled soya bean balls or pastas and the most important ingredient of Chinese food cereals otherwise it will feel something is missing then over it spices are added to give a spicy taste like red chilly green chilly with salt and pepper. Now all these things are souted in a pan with little bit of cooking oil to give smoothness. When the brownish color arrives in rice and veggies then soya souse is added for a flavor. So finally it means little bit of more soute and there it is ready to be shifted in a plate. The taste is hot and spicy with robustness of all veggies maintained.
At last my wait finished and the stemming vegetarian fried rice plate arrived, over it I squeezed tomato souse then I took my first spoon and it was always un chewable for me is because of my hurry to taste I forget that it is hot. I waited for few seconds to cool down then started eating spoon by spoon frantically that at a sudden point of glance in front of me I loosed my pace of eating and chewing when a whimper I heard from a small desolated homeless boy standing in front of me. I saw his tongue twisting over his lips with a watery mouth to know the taste of my rice. Where his dull faded eyes with a big tied up wound in his forehead was strictly pointing towards my food and in a mercy he was begging in front of me with his fingers wide opened stretched towards me. Now it was not possible for me to eat in front of a starving child in a way it was totally an awkward situation. I felt agonized from the facial expression I got from the child and his big tied up wound in his forehead frightened me I thought who might be that person who had beaten a child in such a cruel manner definitely he might be a coldblooded savage or it can be he might had met with some kind of accident whatever but this wound seems terrible. By seeing his horrible condition there my mind unexpectedly scripted some words and went into my past in my childhood.
“My eyes in sunder
Hunger in finger His face as shunder
How pity I wonder”
Vision of that day came into my eyes when my family went for an evening out at city center in our city side. Clusters of people were arranged in streets passing by them in a jolly mood we were visiting stall by stall by having the street foods where I felt the taste is still there in my mouth. There in a particular stall we took a pause and ordered kachories (an Indian street junk food). Mom dad and we both twin brothers began to wait for the kachories to arrive. Then one by one as soon as it came. My father and brother took an immediate bite whereas mom and I were not ready, we were just going to eat that few street children came in front of us by begging for food to eat. By seeing their exaggerated merciful pleading a sense of kindness evoked in mother’s heart reluctantly she with affection passed her plate to a small girl who was youngest among them. And I too did the same act what mother did without thinking for what I am doing. But when mom eyed dad and brother with a hope that they should also offer them perhaps both of them moved back in a way that they are not ready to give. Somewhere my father dint liked the act what we did so he yelled on my mother can’t you see people are there around us they will offer them we don’t have to do this it’s not our duty. There my mother carried a stiff face and reacted in the same manner as father did. She said we are also a part of this crowd if others can forget their duty we can make them remember and it’s not about our duty it’s about our culture of giving and helping the unfortunates. Hearing this my father became impatient and in aggressive way he said to follow your culture I don’t have that much of bank balance better you opt for some other way to help them but not with my money do you understand. She took mum state and dint went to react further. There after a strong disagreement my father again ordered two more plates when it arrived unfortunately with that few other street children also arrived. Again by seeing their poor condition kindness of my mother count resist her, this time also she again offered her plate by un hearing the harsh words fired by my father being mother’s pet I too did what she did but my brother was still eating his kachories fondly without bothering what’s going on he was always there in fathers side. At last my father in a fit of anger said you both don’t deserve this place common let’s move now, next time please don’t come to me in the name of outing I will not take you both anywhere hearing this brother smiled and chuckled.
From there the kindness of my mother came into me to react and I ordered another plate of fried rice for him. By tapping his back I said don’t cry child you need food you will get ok but don’t cry. In return he nodded his head a little with a blank expression in his face. He took the plate offered and by taking a safe corner he was eating where as I completed my food before him. I paid and went off with a relaxation of giving what my mother always does. The next day I came back at the same time where it was my second last day in Bhopal. During the time when I was having my food this time three to four street children arrived in front of me. Acting as straight forward all of them stretched their hands towards me. At first I went into confusion what is this? Is that the yesterday’s wounded child told his friends too that a kind man will arrive at this time and a merciful beg can get a hot and spicy plate of fried rice to eat very easily. To clear my doubt I moved my head in all direction to know whether the yesterday’s boy is standing somewhere in hiding and might be peeping here to know what’s happening there and checking the possibilities that at last he can also get a plate or not but fortunately no where he was. Then I thought if I am going to offer each one of them a plate it will cost a bit high and as well I don’t have that much of sum with me just know. So I graphed my hands in my pocket how much coins I have I fetched it out and distributed to them where as soon as they got their offering they left the spot with no expression of even a thanks that I expected they will try to show.
After they went I continued my food while eating various thoughts began to tickle my head that provoked me to peep into my past life from my childhood till now. If I notice where ever I went from my childhood till now I found these kind of many street children roaming around somewhere on the streets. Their faded teared clothes filled with dirt always felt greenish in color. Their long hairs filled with dust and mud of streets which never under went for a scissor always felt greenish in color. Their stinky ugly face in which stains of last night food around their lips revealed how wild they were while eating last night food but never went for a wash to feel the taste in the next coming hunger by leaving a mark green in color. Blemishing mark of mire and cow dung on their dangling paws always look green in color. As this green is acting as a protective shield for these street urchins as a gift of world to be called as descendants of nature.
But is this shield sufficient for them for their whole life or to remove a difference between a normal child and a street grown up child. What after their childhood when they will lose their innocence in their teen age and adult hood when no one will offer them anything. Definitely they have to work and they will work hard but as a sweeper in trains, as a cleaner in street side cheap hotels, as a servant for rich, as helpers for street venders and the earning that they will get from their hard work
What they will do?
They will buy clothes? Or
Go for a haircut? Or
Buy good food to eat?
As per I know what I had seen they will use them for their addictions for cheap drugs which they learnt from their childhood in order to overcome the feeling of starvations they will smell it hard to feel high and touch the glory of everything that they don’t have and never going to get. If dint got any job they will join as goons for political king pines who are always waiting for such kind of fellows to hire. And what about the girl child what can happen with them after their puberty? As no one is going to offer them a job because what they need is pleasure they will get it by raping her again and again and then after use by showing the stars of love marriage and home they will sell them in brothels to end up as sluts or prostitutes. At last all of them will end up in jails as criminals.
But
Who made them beggars?
Who made them druggist?
Who made them prostitutes?
Who made them criminals?
We people our constitution our society our community who dint accepted them only donated them in form of coins and foods as offerings in fit of emotions to help them just to pass there life which I too did before some time. But all this type of donation is not going to help them because these are temporary satisfactions for a particular time being after that they have to be on the streets again to beg. But unfortunately no buddy is there to help them to get them a normal life like a normal child with love affection support regular food clothes home school & education college job marriage family a settled life but here all these things are absent in their life and what they only have is tears starvation begging and drudgery always waiting for them on the streets.
For them who is there?
Who is there?
NGO’s
Is it but I don’t think so because the way they are working it indicates they are not working for any cause other than money.
NGO’s who are acting as a savvier for those diseased and affected people by various in humanitarian or natural and unnatural acts happened in their life with a big tag line non profitable non business and legally formed organizations.
The sponsors of these NGO’s only know one thing is to donate donate and donate. Some people are donating heartily where as some people for a show in order to save tax or to call themselves as socialite in between the society and community. But all these kind hearted donors’ never went for a thought to check whether their donated amount is reaching up to the diseased or affected in a correct manner or not because they don’t care for anyone other than themselves. What they need is to call themselves as socialite that they got automatically as soon as they signed their checks and offered them. Another quality they got to add in their list of fake wisdom.
These donors’ acts as innocent but literally they know that the funds that they are providing for a cause will be misused for which they don’t care too. In a way when these funds are ready to flow for its final destination. For example: - Fund for an orphanage to buy one year grocery.
The fund donated will travel through various levels or channels from high to low level authority of that NGO. When it does the exact amount keep on decreasing after passing each level. And at last when it reaches in its final destination to execute the final goal or objective insufficient fund is left because each level ransacked the money thinking that who is going to ask for this donated amount. It is same as a piece of flesh is thrown by someone for a cat but unfortunately ten other dogs entered forcefully and ate that piece of flesh leaving a little bit as waste for the cat that is not at all sufficient to anguish his hunger.
So we can imagine that the grocery bought from that insufficient amount would be insufficient and can be of substandard quality or out dated. Due to such kind of deeds of authorities those orphanage children has to suffer by starving or by malnutrition. Here the whole act of NGO to fulfill the main objective was worthless or just a show “That it is done” but who is responsible for this? No one that is called NGO
Non-Governmental Organization = No one is there to ask.
Non Profitable = Profit for the authorities working behind and loss for the children in front.
Non Business = Doing business by showing these ill-fated people by both donors and NGO’s.
Legally Formed Organization = Legal authority to stole money.
If we see as soon as a person steps into an NGO or even their website the first thing they will deliberately force us to do is donate. If we donated too does your each penny is used for the welfare of an individual what is the proof?
There is an another scenario if we see the cancer centers run by various NGO’s who are getting huge support in way of money from the rich society. From that amount they are spending 5 to 10 or 15 lakh or more per patient in order to save a patient from cancer if it is curable because it is medically proven that up to 60% to 70% cancer cases are curable. Then also at the end after spending this much of fund with a major percentage of chance lying they are dying why? And if a person from rich society is suffering from cancer or any other chronic diseases they are not trusting Indian hospitals due to lack of medical facilities. They will visit America or any other developed country and spend 1 to 2 crore rupees or even more and get cured due to highly advance medical facilities available in that country and get saved.
But why dint they preferred India a big question? If they can’t prefer India how a common man can trust the Indian hospitals. It means for them cancer means death arrived. The things going around in these centers is just a show an adjustment other than nothing because the hospital authority knows the funds arriving for the patient is insufficient and due to lack of medical facilities the only thing that they can do is show off. The patient dealing with these
NGO’s definitely they have to die they will die because they are not born in a golden cradle to stand out and deal by them self.
In this 20th era around 65% of NGO’s are corrupted in India specially the branded NGO’s. Whatever you donate only a least percent is reached up to the affected person. This was two of the scenarios of an NGO there are many in number if we analyze. Now we can imagine from this scenarios what could be the condition of Governmental Organization of India the real Indian government it could be worse than this.
Example: - The tsunami victims of 2004 for whom organizations like UN and our Indian Government allotted millions of dollars for the affected people of around 10 to 11 thousand but do you think the exact amount that should reach up to the victim has reached. If we give a close look it is in between reached and un reached because the victim only got 50000 to 1 lakh Rupees per person and for many even this amount also they dint got why? If the tsunami relief authority had distributed the exact amount each person should get at least 10 to 15 lakh or more with a concrete house to live but what they got exactly a bit of amount that is not even sufficient for a family for even 2 months with a tin sheet hut. Is this a relief or a fix done just to show the world? How devastating and shameful situation is this for this we should feel pity towards our old structured governance. But here the main question is where the money went? That everyone knows where it went but nobody is there to ask and defend. Who is there to blame those Tsunami relief authorities? No one is there same scenario as NGO’s.
From all these things the major question arises is if the donated amount is not reaching up to the cause why we should donate? Should every one stop donating? Preferably No every citizen should if they have that much of capital to donate because we are responsible to help our human kind for their welfare. Now the person will thing why we are responsible because animals have limitations to give us in return the best answer he should know. If a person donated some amount there his responsibility doesn’t ends there if he really cares that a cause has to be neutralized any how then he should check whether the exact Check In amount is Check outed or not. So that the sufferer can get the full benefit of this life saving amount in all manner. For this various IT companies should come forward and should provide an error free system or an independent NGO platform like portals with check in and checkout function with a bill generator. There the bill can act as satisfaction and a proof that for which person or child it was spent, what the utilities were bought etc.
Now if we look into the matter of these street children roaming here and there on the streets begging aside. There are so many
NGO’s in our country who are providing support for these street children but only if someone calls and inform them about a child. Then only they will come and pick up the child and think for his rehabilitation. Even though if an NGO is having space for a street child like out of 100 25 vacant space is there then also they will not try to fill this place else they will wait for a call to arrive when it will come automatically the space get filled is there thought. Now here is a question. Is this a correct way that an NGO should follow? Why they are waiting for a call? Why the volunteers of an NGO don’t come by them self and hunt out these street children from the streets? Is this not there responsibility? If these question can be answered in a correct way there will be no street child left anywhere on the streets. Definitely they get saved. If there is no space in their NGO then they can contact another NGO for a support. Why NGO’s for child welfare don’t think in this manner? It means there first importance is donation for which they are sending their volunteers everywhere in the society to collect funds but not to hunt out a child. If got any one also they will act as unseen because no call is obtained. This is the basic reason due to which children with no support from anywhere surviving on streets.
Here the solution is simple if a city is having 50 NGO’s for child welfare. Then if each NGO is deciding its area limit and picking up child from that area until no one is left then it means the area is free from street children. In this way if each NGO is working in this manner one day the whole city will be free from street child. For all these assumptions proper planning is needed but no one is going to do and follow as everyone need is money not these street urchins for them who care.
Suddenly I felt some one’s hand tapping over my shoulders there I stood up leaving my chair in a shock and I found one of the Assami guy in front of me asking what happen to you sir is there any problem with my food. I was literally traumatized when I found myself sitting there in Chinese stall from an hour. The stall keeper noticed me wondering because I was not eating as well my eyes were staring somewhere concurrently in a numb state. I went into my though in such a deep state that I forgot that I am sitting there in a Chinese stall. In a sudden state I said ow I am sorry actually I just went into my thought but your food is excellent keep it up. In gratitude by complementing his food he said what can I do sir my food is like that people loss them self in the taste I provide any way have your seat and take your own time there is no problem. By giving thanks in a temperamental state I ate my food as soon as possible as I felt that I wasted my valuable time by thinking impossible things. At present I should be there with my chapters but I am there with this plate that is not fine. In hurry I completed my food paid and went off.
Next day last few hours were left in Bhopal in the evening time in an excitement I was sitting there in a bar with my four peg of Old Monk Rum waiting for me in my table. As I was eagerly waiting for this movement to get feel relaxed. So as soon as I stepped out from my exam hall I was feeling exhausted though I was spending many days and nights in studies and streets indefatigable manner so I thought a feel good factor is needed. I went to my room packed my bags vacated the lodge by hiring an auto I reached here. In this dark atmosphere of bar first I felt sorry towards my father for not being there up to his point. Now what can I do such a wandering soul I have who likes freedom and to explain it to father, not my cup of tea. There I had my first peg. The effect I got began to fish out the past went days of Bhopal as a flash back. The mountains filled with greeneries bounding the cool water lake a magnificent site I had seen which took me into my past to My Lady with a galvanizing desire to see her ones for a last time but somewhere still left in my wish list as unfulfilled, releasing my fumes I said I will wait for you My Lady like this fumes flying to trace an end. The second peg I had with this darkness of bar it remembered me the fight of women inside the burkas as applied tar. Hope the coming next century will vanish out these kind of brutality against women as a flood passed away from a village for a new lessons as upbringing waiting for them to arrive. I tipped my waiter before my third peg then I noticed my surrounding atmosphere. People were sharing their sorrows and pains with their companions aroused me to think. People and their needs is never going to end or balance but I know that my need is sufficient as pudina seed that has less growth but can give treatment if anyone in need and there I had my third peg. There after I raised my fourth peg in the name of belief that one day people will know themselves, that there will power is the most power full god present in side them, then they will not call any name of god other than inner soul that can answer everything in all. My last peg was also over but my soul insisted one more, a last peg for my street urchins. Barer barer I chuckled and ordered one more last peg. There with my last peg in sorrow for those street urchins roaming here and there on the streets I began to sing my poetry in between that alcoholic atmosphere as On The Streets.
Hari Das