I do not think
there will be a single Indian who has not experienced a slum, especially those
staying in metros & mini metros. Someone like me or my family we were
privileged to stay in Delhi, Mumbai & Bangalore – we are surrounded by
slums or basti’s and many of us
survive our 24/7 jobs, because many of them staying in these basti’s come to our home to clean our
house or cook food for us.
Our usual
reaction to a slum is similar to the reaction we have when we see garbage
littered on the road or drive through dug up roads or see sick dogs on the road
– we are like this only, this is India – pls ignore & rush for the movie
which you are going to miss or to the pub where your friends are waiting or
your boss who is waiting at the office. Insensitive yes but practical – what
else does one do there is too much of it around anyone, how will another basti make a difference.
As Indian economy
zooms – construction of buildings, then opening of shops in these building,
then the entire chain of moving the stocks from place A – B, delivering stuff
bought online, cleaning the office of these multi-million dollar companies –
all these are manned by people living in these basti’s.
Katherin Boo’s story of Annawadi – a real place, lives of real people living near
Sahara Airport is gut wrenching, poignant & so real that it hurts as you
flip the pages and a long-long time after you have put it back in your shelf.
It took an American (married to an Indian though) 4 years of toiling in
Annawadi, speaking with people, seeing them live their lives day in & day
out along with her research for this happen. Many of the facts mentioned in the
book were petitioned and got from the government agencies under India’s RTE
act.
You can read more about the book here http://www.behindthebeautifulforevers.com/
How does one
react after reading a book like this? Actually how many of us will actually
read a book like this. A book which talks about filth, unhygienic conditions,
corruption, trash, river of shit & so on & so forth. After a 10 hr of
toil one seeks escapism in movies & books. A world of Cindrella & Bahubali.
It’s not an easy read.
My reflections:
The book is
extremely well written - powerful, I can understand/appreciate the kind of
immersive & maybe terrifying n provoking experience which the author would
have gone thru. Being an American or white skinned anywhere in India itself is
a nuisance. For some-one to go & almost live there and come back home to a
Jacuzzi or take a skiing holiday to Swiss or having wine with your friends –
would have been an anguish. I am sure she is still reliving those days. Reading
the authors note tell you that the book is genuinely trying to answer several
questions which are fundamental to her as an individual and it shows in her
writing. She had been reporting on poverty in US for a long time and in fact
had won a Pulitzer prize for Public Service
Which brings to
my mind the question of how does kids or
even us choose a profession? I thought I will be so proud if my daughter
was someone like Unnati Tripathi (a sociology student) who according to the
author played a big role in translating & digging out insights which are
fundamental to this book. But then that is probably projection of what I want
to vs Nikita who wants to design houses, learn painting in Paris etc. The
reason I am writing this – a success full life or a well lived life is the one
when you know what is your calling as early as you can and a as a parent you
would want them to know that before it’s too late & they live through the
same cycle of disillusionment which many of us have.
On slums & govt;
We can’t wish the slums away as India hits the 8% GDP growth the influx of poor
people from villages to city will only increase, we will become more
insensitive as days pass as we are all heading toward the Americanised
consumption culture where the individual is more important than the community.
You don’t bother if the Flipkart delivery boy is riding a bike with a bag which is overweight & drive in rain & wait’s outside the door shivering to deliver your flashy new phone. All because he get;s an incentive if he delivers with a specified time.
You don’t bother that the guys who mops your floor
before you enter the office has come from a small village somewhere in Assam,
because his wife has died, he lives with his son & son’s wife, earns 7000/-,
walks 7 km to office & survives on 2 meals, on holidays only 1. And yes he
lives in slum – one room which is shared by all 3 of them.
The fact that government cannot impact these individuals is a foregone conclusion. In the whole maze of politics, corruption & cacophony of policies – even if the government claims that they have affected 1 million people by this yojana or the other – there are several more millions in line, which means that there is a tremendous opportunity to do good, change the lives of these people in some way or the other.
My belief is
that technology, Innovative thinking by individuals with powerful vision of
solving the day to day problems in an Indian way will take India far away. We
as individuals need to take action and do things – even if it effects 10
people, 20 people – Millions of ten
people can impact India in a big way.
To make any
change in a society, we have to change first. So have faith and start your
journey today.
Wrote on 15th August 2015.
