Who is She?

She was a stunner, green eyes, great body and an exotic dress to boot. Anyone would give her a second glance even a third.

She was selling cowboy hats at the Chirag Dilli red light, wearing them all one on top of the other as she walked through the maze of cars.

Everyone from the autowallah to the bus passengers to the car drivers and their owners looked out to see her gliding past.

She made for a good shot for me while I waited for the red light to turn green.

And then we all went our ways forgetting her, forgetting her plight. She belongs to a tribe from Rajasthan that had to move from their ancestral dwellings in search of money and food. She is a bewildered person, who has been made poor and a destitute by the unthinking, uncaring attitude of the powers that be.

She is someone who has recently joined the ranks of the poor in Delhi.

How do we help? Buy one of her hats perhaps? Does that really solve the problem?

Today an initiative was on to talk about poverty through Blog Action Day. Mampi and IHM inspired me to join the effort, however though I registered the site didnt send the promised mail and my registration process couldn't be completed. I was disappointed but then I thought what the hell why should one mail stop me from doing a good deed and hence the post that you just read.
I don't have any solutions to this problem to offer so am only appealing for one thing we may be unable to pull someone out of poverty but lets not judge them as less human than us just because their clothes seem torn and faces streaked. They have all the rights too that the constitution gives us.

Comments

EXSENO said…
You are so right. I agree with everything you have said.
I was reading the blog of ' Life Of An Emt' and 'T-Dudes' blogs and this woman that was obviously wealthy was saying some very awful things about poor people like they could help it. She was terrible, she couldn't comprehend it. She think they all want to be that way.
God help her if she ever gets in that position, then again it would certainly give her a reality check wouldn't it. Kind of like walk a mile in my shoes.
Pinku //They have all the rights too that the constitution gives us.//
Love these words! Who remembers this?

You can get a code to add their widget from here,
http://blogactionday.org/

so that they can track your blog.
Titaxy said…
Hey nice post... I totally am with you on the part where you say we shouldn't judge them on their appearance. It not only applies to the issue discussed here, but also to many other things. Just because someone is different or does things differently, one shouldn't judge them as less human. Everyone is different and one should learn to respect that !

I'm blog rolling you...
Indian Government does'nt seem to understand the importance of rehabilitation. It took several PILs for the Narmada dam oustees to get the measely oustees. I donno what we could do for her individually but we cud definitely write to some NGO about this and the need for a PIL.
Pinku said…
exseno....thanks for sharing about the rich lady...yeah perhaps she needs to walk in those torn shoes it might make her see some sense. Then again there will always be people like her in the world. the trick is to sensitise those we can influence to view things differently.

IHM....I tried, tried and tried but couldnt get the registration completed. anyways the job has been executed thats what matters most isn't it? Thanks for the help though.
Pinku said…
V.....s, thanks for blogrolling me. and yes tolerance for those who are different from us is a talent we seem to be losing very fast. Whether it be in-laws, to those from a different class, community, language or sexual preference everyone is tarred evil the moment they fail to confirm with what we think is 'normal'.

Akshaya, thanks for the suggestion will look up those avenues and see what i can do. Problem is those guys are gypsy like and I haven't seen them lately.
Trevor Penn said…
Poverty unfortunately is often the face of desperate crime. I say hate poverty, not the poor. To go one up, hate prejudice.
Pinku said…
Trevor,

well put.
Keshi said…
Quite a touching post Pinku!

**we may be unable to pull someone out of poverty but lets not judge them as less human than us just because their clothes seem torn and faces streaked

I agree totally! for clothes dun say anything abt our hearts...


Keshi.
Iya said…
true..well brought up.. and i agree with all that u have said.. i feel the only way to eradicate poverty is through education...
Solitaire said…
True. Some people just have unfortunate circumstances for no fault of their own. Yet, some of us fortunate ones think that we are superior than them just because destiny has been kind to us for nothing we have done.
Anonymous said…
Very well said Pinku..this is really very sad..How will we feel if it was somebody of our own?We all are not bothered until and unless it happens to ouw own family..I hope to do soemthing in the right direction..Spread the good word..God bless..
Reminiscent of the Afghan girl.
Her problem, and indeed the entire nation's, stems not the lack of wealth but rather the uneven distribution of it. Read this http://www.forbes.com/2008/03/05/richest-people-billionaires-billionaires08-cx_lk_0305billie_land.html.
Three Indian residents in the top 10, and yet we have this lady in green on the road.
Manish Raj said…
Hi Pinku

You have such a big heart.

Indeed we can not solve the problem directly (say buying one hat).

Let us decide to teach just one person (young or grown up) in our life and bring her/him to the level s/he can sustain herself/himself.

I have done that for a few kids who are poor. Try it whenever you can. Even if you can do that later in your life that is okay.

It works.

God Bless You
Manish
thats one of the things i like about bombay actually. its hugely encompassing. i have seen all types of people who survive adjacent to each other - and without losing their spirit.

the city is a great equalizer i guess.
Mampi said…
Very touching post.
And I knew Pinku Would do something, anything for the blog action day. SHe has a never-say-die spirit. Loved it
Such innocence... thanks for sharing with us.
A said…
Good One. Google "veerni" for a helpful exercise.
Pinku said…
cynic....i agree Bombay is better in the way it lets many live side by side...but even there we dont pay much attention to the rights of those on the streets...isn't it?

Mampi...thanks for the faith

ankur...thanks, will do the exercise
Z@ki-R said…
Lovely and touching. How fortunate we are that our habitation are not uprooted to make way for development; we did not have to leave our ancestral homes for ever because some fanatics thought this is not our country...
Pinku said…
Zakir....you are so right. And I pray no one has to leave his home or live in fear because of disasters natural or man made.
Vidooshak said…
awesome awesome blog. and this post was so amazing. what took me so long to discover it?
Pinku said…
hey Vidooshak...but you are finally here aren't you...hope you keep coming back!
Balvinder Balli said…
Hi Pinku, just scrolled through your blog. I was on a trip to north to meet my family and now i understand that where my son had bought three of those cowboy style leather hats.

Will be coming back more often

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