A
few moments in life are good enough to make you believe in God, a few sights are
sufficient to make you love Life, however, there are equally disturbing images
that can make you lose hope, feel perplexed and dejected. One such sight can be
beheld in Vrindavan, and I could not skip mentioning briefly the sad state of
affairs of the widows who live there. Earlier, this year, I read in a newspaper
about the painful ‘life’ that these widows live and the terrible death that
they eventually face. Their plight is such that even the most ardent devotees
of God are forced into re-thinking their allegiance with the Supreme power.
The
report said “The
bodies of widows who die in government-run shelter homes in Vrindavan are taken
away by sweepers at night, cut into pieces, put into jute bags and disposed of
as the institutions do not have any provision for a decent funeral. This, too,
is done only after the inmates give money to the sweeper!” While ostensibly this shows a very disturbing picture, on a
deeper introspection it also challenges each one of us to look within our own
selves to understand the inherent disrespect to life with which we all have
“learnt to live”.
Imagine living a lonely life with unlit Diwali , colorless
Holi, no one to hug you on Eid and no one to tie you Rakhi , no one to remember
your birthday and the memories of any Anniversary just well your eyes, leaving
you helpless and choking you to yet another death that has become so frequent.
While we would hope that nothing like this ever happens to anyone, the
unfortunate reality is otherwise.
Why do we need special shelters for the old aged? An
orphan may not have the umbrella of love from her parents, but what about the
Parents who have kids but are forced to live a life of seclusion? Ever seen
those expecting eyes, the trembling hands, the wrinkled yet gentle face looking
with a hope that we, as a society, would care and give them back the love they
deserve and the respect they command. A little smile on their faces is worth a
fortune, plain , genuine and purest of smiles that have become so uncommon in
today’s world. Empathy should be our mechanism and love, the tool. Treat them
as our own, give them the dignity that they need, love them unconditionally and
provide them the occasions to celebrate. Help our elders and the neglected erase
all the bad memories of the past. Let us help build a world of joy, happiness
and peace for those who have raised us. The canvas is theirs, let us just help
them paint the way they want. The tears should be that of joy, the hands should
bless our souls, the face should glitter with genuine hope and the heart be
filled with happiness always.
Courtesy
Report
appeared in the Hindu and here is the link to it:
17 comments:
Thanks for writing about such a poignant subject,Rahul.
Hmm, this is quite shocking.
I read the article in Hindu long time back .. shocking, disturbing and disgusting
Artika - Many thanks indeed. I was in Vrindavan last year, and the moment you cross these morose lanes and streets that shelter these widows, their plight seems conspicuous enough to send a shiver down your spine. The report in the Hindu appeared in January this year - almost plugging the gap in my assessing their sorrow.
Abhinav - yes, shocking , dismal and inexplicable. And then the people with "black money" talk about "lifestyles" over "life"
Somya - Agreed. [Glad that you have shifted your loyalty towards the Hindu ;) ]
Widows have been treated as liability since before independence..watch the movie water to gain more insight on the history..
May i ask..what have you done towards helping them after reading the article and visiting vrindavan?
Fantastic question Tanvi. However, on a mini-micro level, it is like asking Thomas Paine what did he do for the American revolution than just write (which is an effective means of mass mobilization, also). That said, you are right, nothing on ground. I tried associating myself with one of the NGOs, however, have not yet succeeded. Cannot pen work? I am above the sea level on only one metric it seems.
As for the movie "water", you should remember I watched it on the day my exams got over in 2nd year. "Just the movie" one should not have after the stressful exams.
Omg yes!!! How could i forget!!! #facepalm!!!
Well..i dont know wat mr. Thomas wrote..bt i believe and i said from that mindset..if we suggest any action to others..we should give examples from our own actions..if nothing else, it makes it a much better and solid writing and a more impactful read..
Indian version of Thomas Paine - Rabindranath Tagore.
As for impact delivered through actions, yes, that is matchless. However, the things that I have written flow from our daily lives - simple things like - giving them seats on a metro (not just the reserved ones), not negotiate (bargain) with the old rickshaw pullers, help them when they need etc. This goes beyond just those elderly who are conspicuously deprived. I cannot possibly use all these from my personal experience. Also , I believe rightly or wrongly)that once you do something, you should not herald it (personally uncomfortable).
ps - your views are appreciated.
eu always been talking on sensitive issues....ur blogs r really good, knowledgeable,inspiring..
Many thanks indeed Neha :)
This is pretty shocking. I don't understand how people could let this occur. - Gerald
How can we know more about this?? Where is this place in Vrindavan? Did u see or visited this place? How can we help?
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