I was travelling from Bangalore to Delhi in Karnataka Express. With fatigue of travelling almost 40 hours in train, with tons of baggage, it was quite an irritating and hectic journey. The time I got down on Delhi Station with all my baggage, a child not more than 6-7 years started pulling my shirt and started asking for money. As my hands were full of luggage and had a bag on my shoulder, I was getting terribly irritated. In all this push and pull my bag fell down and it opened. Everything inside the bag was on road. This was enough to push my patience and my hands did the rest.
Everyone who passed looked at me with anger and disgust. No one helped me. Rather everyone sympathised with the little child.
Though I left the Railway Station, that guilt of letting lose my hand stayed with me. From that day whenever I see a child begging I experience that guilt. Today, after almost 24 years, when I am attached with Vedanta’s “Khushi” campaign – for the underprivileged children in India, for their education, nutrition and health, I feel I am doing a bit for myself and for my country. My guilt has been now converted into energy.
The very first line that “Khushi” wrote to its members was ‘be polite to the children of street – they are not on street by choice but by force’.
With largest child population in the world and almost 1/3rd of world’s malnourished children living in India, our country has to find a future for these crores of children.
”Khushi” encourages individual efforts are what the country needs today. Government, NGOs and Corporates cannot do it alone.
With about 50,000 members in the “Khushi” group on facebook from across the world, many want to donate money. But “Khushi” is not about donating money, but for donating time. Donations are not encouraged or accepted.
I am sure, many of you must be carrying some feeling for the underprivileged children in India. Here it is a chance to put value to life.. Join “Khushi” – www.facebook.com/groups/vedantakhushi.
