SS: What are the infrastructure opportunities that you see in UK and if you had to prioritise the sectors?

DM: We obviously have a blessing of a very old infrastructure and the burden of a very old infrastructure. Our railway infrastructure is 19th century which may ring some bells of its ancient and heritage. But our energy infrastructure, for example, is more of the post war period. So, the priorities for us are, I would say, over the next 20 years are one – energy, which I think is really important, including not just more energy efficient but carbon capturing energy with the upgrading of our electricity infrastructure is very very important.

Second, I think what is pretty important is our soft infrastructure which I think is good but could be better. We have very high digital and high speed penetration into the household market, pretty well into the commercial market. But I think we could do better, especially in the more far flung areas.

And thirdly – transport. Because I think that’s a big thing where the previous government committed to high speed rail which I think is very important.

SS: In the context of UK-India relations, what are your comments on Cameron’s visit to India where he has established an excellent political and business relation, which the Labour government have conspicuously failed to do?

DM: I am surprised they say that because I think David Cameron inherited a very very strong relationship. Prime Minister Singh and Prime Minister Brown were very closely together. We were very close to Foreign Minister Krishna and all the different levels where there was real cooperation but not just government. After all, British investments in India and Indian investments in Britain have both been going the right way. So I think Prime Minister Cameron inherited a very strong relationship and the fact that he wants to nurture it is a very very good thing.

SS: Is it not realistic to have a one to one relation with India rather than a cold war Indo Pak construction which has no relevance today?

DM: Of course, I mean I don’t recognize that India being clubbed with Pakistan at all. India is a success story of South Asia. It’s a bilateral partner but it’s also a multilateral partner. I mean we’ve argued very strongly for a stronger Indian role in wider International political system. That’s true through the G20, process in expansion through what is called the G-8. We are long champions since Tony Blair’s time for the Indian membership to the United Nations Security Council. So, I don’t think that India is seen through an India-Pakistan prism at all. Obviously, instability in Pakistan can be dangerous for all the countries in South Asia but that doesn’t mean that India is bracketed in that way.

SS: Mr Cameron spoke warmly of India’s business relations in the UK. How important is this for the re-generation of the UK economy?

DM: I think it is important. I mean something like Tata; they are big investors and have recently sold the Redcar steel to Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI), a Thai company. And the fact that now India has now bigger investments in Britain and Britain has in India is a remarkable testimony to how this is now a partnership of equals. I think we both have very strong shared interests in open global economy. And we have to forge new areas of cooperation, which I think is higher education, technology in respect of Green technology, there are big opportunities in the health sector as well as the more traditional services like insurance and so on.

SS: In the light of the immigration scenario, already the British government, especially Damien Green has agreed to have a special arrangement with the top companies for visas- any comment on that?

DM: Well I think that the new government’s approach to immigration is sending out very confused messages because they have isolated countries like India for a cap on immigration. That is completely the wrong approach in my view. Far from that sending the message that Britain is open for business, it sends the message that we are concerned about skilled, qualified people coming here to work and pay taxes. I think that’s a piece of populism that has gone wrong really. And so, we have taken the government to task about that because there are, I think, about 22,000-23,000 people from outside the EU, who come here every year. But then to pretend that a cap on non-EU skilled migrants is going to tackle that problem is ridiculous. So, I think Mr. Green has lot of answering to do to people who look at Britain as standing out for an open role in the global economy. I would stand up for Britain to have an open role in the global economy. I don’t think a cap on skilled non-EU migrants is a way to build a stronger Britain.

SS: But do you think that will affect India-UK relations in anyway?

DM: Well, I hope not. But I think it sends a very odd message. I don’t want to send an odd message. I want to send a message that we welcome Indians who come here to pay taxes and contribute to our society.

SS: George Osborne’s budget is supposedly going to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. What is your comment on that?

DM: Well, I believe in Robin Hood and not in the Sheriff of Nottingham. The worst thing obviously is that at a time of fiscal retrenchment, the poorest in the society are being asked the bear the greatest burden which is a typical Conservative approach. But equally bad is that he told the House of Commons it’s a budget that will help the poor and not the rich. And then it turns out that it wasn’t true. That’s was a very bad thing to do.

SS: And finally, there is a huge British Indian population in UK. If you have to send out a message to say how do you think their contribution has helped UK?

DM: Well, I think it has been a fantastic success story. I don’t see the British community of Indian origins in the margin; I see them in the mainstream. And we need to make sure that mainstream is strong and vibrant and growing.

The Britons of Indian origin, some of them I am going to meet when I open this new temple in West Bromwich, in the great towns and cities of Britain are doing well in business, education, health in the community. They are value members of the community. And I think it’s one of the great things actually that this is a country that has made itself home to millions of people.

And my message will be to thank them for their citizenship and their contribution in all walks of life. I am the first person from my family to be born in this country so I have some similar reason to recognise how this country has opened its arms from people around the world.

But I think the second message to the Britons of Indian origin is ‘Let’s build up on the progress we have made because we haven’t struggled this hard and worked this hard for a more equal opportunity only to see it thrown away.’ And that’s the central politics in the future.

So this day signifies freedom. But what does freedom mean to us? It has a very personal meaning to each one of us. But on India’s 64th Independence Day, I decided to ask British Indians, what they thought freedom means for India. I was quite amazed with the responses I got because for people who live so far away from India and might have visited India only a couple of times in their lives, such deep thoughts should surely be appreciated.

Abha Singh, a student in Manchester said, “India is still not free. There is a long way to go. It is true that India has a government of its own but what about such deep rooted social evils such as poverty, caste discrimination, gender discrimination. Till the time India overcomes all this, one cannot say openly that India is a free country.”

Another person from London who wishes to remain anonymous said, “We are a free nation now and we do what we want to. We don’t have anyone killing our people and looting us without our permission. And this is a great achievement. I agree we have many more problems but we will slowly overcome all of them. I am extremely positive.”

Some of you might be thinking why am I asking this question 64 years later? Well to me it is an extremely pertinent question, not because I am trying to bring out the ills of my country but because for me freedom is not just being free from external control but it also means free from vices and evils. Today, we are a free nation in the sense that we pass our own laws and we make our own decisions but how many of these laws and decisions reach those who are at the bottom rung of the ladder? How do they benefit from these decisions?

Let’s take the commonwealth games for example. The idea of hosting the games was to showcase India’s might to the world. But are we really doing that? We destroyed slums in order to show a masked face of Delhi, we are pumping heavy amounts of money into the infrastructure facilities and then we are fighting over corruption reports that are being shown everywhere. Is this is what you call a free India? I really want to know how and when this investment will help India in fighting its domestic and external problems.
Anupriya Rathod, a social activist based in Delhi said, “It is a great feeling to be a free nation and to be able to tell people that my country is the largest democracy in the World. But when I look at those who are really facing the brunt of this system, I question my own belief system. We are 64 years old but there are still so many loopholes that will take many many more years to be filled.”

On this day, my idea is not to sound pessimistic but to be aware of the diseases that my country is facing as of now and to be able to do something about it. One of the strongest point that works in favour of India is its high population of youth. This is something that has sent signals to countries around the world. And this is the thing that will take India out of all its social evils and problems.

On its 64th Independence Day, India is much better than what it was few years back. I consider it as a positive thing that we the young people understand the problems our country is facing and many of us have actually entered the field to ensure that those who have been suffering are taken care of. Will all these efforts, I can truly see India of my dreams – Free, Fair, Equal with no poverty, no unemployment and no discrimination at all. That is when I will say “Happy Independence Day.”

As I made my way through the crowded roads of Camden Town into the Holiday Inn hotel at Jamestown Street where Mr. Rahman had been staying, I went down the memory lane to a time when I was 13 year old. I remember a few of my friends and I had prepared a dance number for the Republic Day function on the song “Maa Tujhe Salaam” by A R Rahman. It is a song that touches the heart of every Indian as it salutes mother India for being the best. And it is since then that I fell for his voice.

Now, twelve years later I was making my way to the executive suite at the Holiday Inn to interview him. As I entered the room, I saw him sitting quietly on a chair in the middle of the room. A short man with curly hair and rather strong features, he smiled at me as I walked towards him. He looked absolutely cool and calm and I sat in front of him, rather nervous trying to set up my voice recorder and making sure everything was right. And even while I was doing that, he asked me about my background, my job and my favourite film.

Here are the excerpts from my brief conversation with A R Rahman.

Your association with Mani Ratnam has been a long one. 18 years back it was Roja and now Raavan. How has this journey been?

The journey has been good. This is the tenth film and I am very proud of this film. He does films that people don’t get sometimes, they get it later – like when Dil Se came in. He has got his own way of thinking and expressing. So from his first film, initially people will say it is not good but a year later they will say “oh I watched it 25 times.” So it’s got something which people don’t understand but they still like it. And same way for music, I do music for him; in the beginning they don’t like it but later it becomes inevitable for them later. So I guess there is some magic there.

Given that you had training in the west, what kind of influence does the western music have on you?

Well, it’s got nothing to do with the training in the west or east. It’s your mind. Your mind can think and you can get out of your shell in your mind and do anything. But of course training really helps you. Not as much as a real life experience when you go somewhere and fail an fall down and break your legs and get healed and start running. That’s the best kind of learning experience that I have.

There is a heavy western influence on the bollywood music and that is why we still crave for traditional music, such as that in Guru or Raavan?

Yes, infact in India if you take a look at the audience that goes to the theatre is young people. Old people prefer to stay home and watch it on TV. Here, I am not generalising everybody but most people prefer to watch it on DVD or TV. Most of the movies are catering to the young population and that is why you see that kind of music, unlike the old era where people used to love poetry and stuff.

Who has been your inspiration in music?

My inspiration comes from my intention to do music and to have multiple other things through music. And if you ask me about musical inspiration, I have like hundred thousand people and it is extremely difficult to name one.

And finally, there are two big performances coming up for you. What sort of experimentation should Londoners expect?

Just buy the tickets and come and watch. It’s based on my songs but it will be a new experience for all. We are trying our best to push the limits and do something that is exciting for all.

(A R Rahman will be performing on July 24th and 26th at The O2 and Wembley Stadium respectively)

Little did I know that Kerala, my favourite destination in the near future, will come looking for me in London. A two day carnival focussing on the Indian State of Kerala was exhibited at the South Bank along the Thames River last week. The event consisted of every aspect of Kerala that can come to your mind – Kathakali, Ayurveda, cuisine, handicrafts and much more.

Before going forward, I will give you a little outline of Kerala that is located in south-western part of India. The state is bordered by Karnataka to the north, Tamil Nadu to the south and Lakshadweep Sea towards the west. The capital of Kerala is Thiruvananthpuram and Malayalam is the dominant language. The State also known as “God’s own country” is a very popular destination for tourists from all over the world.

The two day carnival that took place on 7th-8th July at South Bank in Waterloo was flagged off by Mark Shand of the Elephant Family who engineered the entire Elephant Parade in order to create awareness with regards to Asian elephant conservation. Organised by UK’s leading multicultural specialist Here&Now365, supported by Bank of Baroda and partnered with many leading groups – Sony Entertainment Television, Incredible India, Kerala – God’s Own country, South bank and Think London, the festival was attended by highly respected personalities such as Smt. P K Sreemanthi Teacher – Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Govt. Of Kerala, Richard Barnes, Deputy Mayor of London and other prominent members from the British Parliament and Greater London Authority.

The event was a huge success not only because of the presence of prominent guests but also because it truly brought the essence of one of the most popular tourist destinations based in southern India to London. Londoners filled their bellies with dosa sambhar and vadas and quenched their thirsts with coconut water. Some even got beauty treatments and ayurvedic massages done; bought handicrafts for their homes. And all this was done not by spending hundreds of pounds on air tickets but on simply taking a bus to South Bank centre.

The organisers were extremely helpful and that made it easier for people to feel at home. When I reached the venue, I could hear some traditional music but could not understand the words as the song was sung in Malayalam but the experience was extremely enjoyable. There were traditional Kathakali dancers who lit the event on fire with their enthusiasm and passion while performing. I noticed that the crowd attending the carnival did not consist of only Indians; a great number of British and European viewers enjoyed the carnival.

I spoke to a French couple who were standing near the stage for a very long time looking at the Kathakali performance. I asked them what they thought of the event and the boy said, “Till now it was Turkey on our minds for our wedding holiday but now we know that it’s Kerala. It looks like heaven.”

Well, indeed it does and thanks to the organisers for bringing it to London. In today’s world when everything is commercialised and tourism is a huge sector, one needs to know the art of branding and marketing a particular product. In this case, it was a holiday destination. But I must say that a great job was done not only from the business point of view but also from an aesthetic point of view.

The only thing however I missed was idly sambhar and I will request the organisers to remember that the next time they plan a south Indian carnival.

Let’s take up the positive instances first. The film was well shot, well edited and well described. Almost throughout the film one could follow the script and the events that were taking place. The film focussed on women suffering from “triple patriarchy” – their caste since they belong to the lowest in the ladder, i.e. Dalit, their class and the gender difference. This subjects them to a great deal of humiliation not only from their husband and their family but also from the society at large.

A very interesting finding that the documentary made was with regards to the issue of “devadasis.” To put it in context, the practice of devadasis (young girls married off to the temple) was abolished in 1988 by legal sanction. But this documentary shows that the practice still exists in a village in Belgaum. It is absolutely shocking to discover that such a grave situation actually exists and that too with or without the knowledge of the Indian government. Another interesting area covered well by the documentary was the issue of bonded labourers.

However I had certain reservations about this 45 minute documentary that left everyone shocked. To start with, a few things had been generalised so as to include the whole of India in it. Let us not forget the fact that India is a very big country with twenty eight states and seven union territories. Every state has a culture, language and cuisine of its own. And thus there is extreme diversity across the country. Life in villages is far more complex and difficult as compared to the metropolitan cities. Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and others have progressed and the concept of the girl child as a “burden” doesn’t exist in these societies.

I was extremely unhappy with one of the interviewees in the documentary who was a doctor. She gave a very stereotypical idea of the status of women in India. Gathering my memory from the film, she mentioned that the time a girl child is born in a family in India, parents start investing less money in her career because at the back of the mind they know that they will have to give a dowry. I mean how reasonable it is to generalise such a thought to the entire country? I know that such a thing happens in the villages or the more backward states but to look at it positively, things are far better in the cities. And when we talk about an issue such as dowry, it is always better to make a comparative analysis, especially when discussing about a vast country like India. I talk of this with my own personal experiences, interactions since I have lived in India for twenty three years before moving to London.

Another thing which caught my attention was the issue of domestic violence and sex-selective abortion. How right is it to say that every parent hopes for a baby boy and domestic violence is very common? Frankly, the doctor who was interviewed should have just confined herself to the issues of health and medical concerns. What she said was not very well supported with enough references and thus it fell weak on the script.

Apart from the fact that the documentary painted a rather bleak picture of the situation of women across the country, it was definitely an eye opener, especially because many of us in our busy and fancy lives forget that we are probably very lucky to have been brought up in a progressive atmosphere. There are many like us who plainly by virtue of being born in a poor and lower caste family are suffering a great deal every day. And luckily because the situation is not the same across India, the movie brought out the realities of what goes in the villages and some backward cities. But life in a metro is not the same.

Chintu, as Rishi Kapoor is affectionately called, has completed a journey of forty years in Indian cinema. His first film – Mera Naam Joker, where he was a child artist was a start for his career as a successful and dynamic actor in the Indian bollywood industry. Today, many years later, Chintuji is still the fun loving boy we remember from Bobby or Karz. I am not going to go on talking about his films because he needs no introduction in terms of his work. But what I am going to focus upon are small little stories that Chintuji shared with us during his recent visit to The Nehru Centre last week.

A press meeting in the beginning and then a conversation with film historian Nasreen Munni Kabir, Rishi Kapoor gave his audience all the time they needed in getting to know their favourite actor better. When Nasreen Munni Kabir asked him what he remembered as a thirteen year old from his first film Mera Naam Joker, a witty Rishi Kapoor replied that immediately after overhearing his parents talk about casting him as a child actor, Rishi Kapoor rushed to his room, took out a pen and paper and started practicing his autograph. He also said that whenever his mother would scold him for something, he would cry and would not miss a chance to peep into the mirror to see how he looked.

During the press conference he talked about two movies that he is presently working on. He is presently in London for the shooting of Patiala House, a film about British Asian identity and the conflicts that arise between generations. The filming has been taking place at locations across UK, including Southall, Harrow, Covent Garden, Lords, Oval and Nottingham Trent Bridge cricket grounds.

Leading the cast is superstar Akshay Kumar in an on-screen avatar that’s never been presented to audiences before. An accomplished and leading actor, Kumar juggles the contradictory role of a shop keeper from Southall respecting his traditionalist father, played by Rishi Kapoor, while pursuing his dream to play cricket for England. Also to be seen in the movie is Anushka Sharma, Dimple Kapadia and British Asian Rapper, Hard Kaur.

The second movie is Do Dooni Char, a movie that brings back the “Ek main aur ek tu” couple – Rishi Kapoor and his beautiful wife Neetu Kapoor. Ever since we saw a glimpse of her in Love Aaj Kal, people seem to be going gaga over the couple’s return to Indian cinema.

On his relationship with his son Ranbir Kapoor, he maintained a somewhat proud father stand saying he hasn’t contributed to Ranbir’s success in anyway and whatever Ranbir has achieved today is on his own. He also said that the only thing that he keeps telling Ranbir and other aspiring actors is that one should never take success to head and failure to heart. That is the only way to go about in the film industry.

When asked what he thought about the present day romantic flicks, he said he liked them and had no favourites – “I have five fingers and I cannot be unfair to any of them,” he said. Although he found Rajneeti to be a very different sort of a movie, he felt that bollywood today faces lack of good and meaningful stories. He was seen to be quite diplomatic while answering questions so as to avoid any controversies, especially because two of his big films are underway. He also said that he cannot name one of his films as his favourite since he is extremely proud of his work and it is difficult to choose a favourite from the list.

Well said Mr. Kapoor, I am sure not even your fans can choose just one out of the box since you have been excellent in every role that you have taken up. No matter how many star kids make their way through to the bollywood industry, the audience still longs for their legendary heroes and heroines who will remain immortal forever.

The Nehru Centre at South Audley Street exhibits a rare collection of some of these pictures starting from the 1930’s till the 1960’s. The exhibition titled ‘History in Making’ has some marvellous pictures of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, and Sardar Patel. According to Aditya Arya, even the government doesn’t have many of the pictures such as the ones from the closed doors meetings of Muslim League during the Indian National Movement.

Well that surely takes us back to where it all started from – Kulwant Roy. Born in 1914 in Ludhiana, Roy started his work as a photographer in Lahore in the 1930’s and one can see some of his early pictures as part of the exhibition. Later in 1941, he joined the Royal Indian Air Force and that’s the time he took some amazing aerial pictures from the cockpits of the aircrafts. Towards later he found it difficult to tolerate the discriminatory policies of his British Superiors and had to leave the air force after being court martialled.

He then set up Associated Press Photos in Delhi and from there took on the task of Photojournalism. He travelled around the world for three years starting in 1958, wherein he took lots of pictures outside which were later sold along with his stories. In 1963 he mailed all his pictures and negatives to his Delhi address but when he came back home, he realised none of his boxes had arrived and he could never trace them.

Kulwant Roy died in 1984 but his photographs have been making news in every part of the world. Even during his life, he sold his photographs to a number of international and national newspapers and magazines. For example, a famous picture of Pandit Nehru, sitting with a bat in his hand during a cricket match was published by a French newspaper, along with the domestic ones. All of this and much more is on display at The Nehru Centre.

Twenty five years after the passing of his uncle, when photographer Aditya Arya opened the boxes that had been bequeathed to him, he was astounded. He was looking at a treasure house of images of pre- and post-independent India. Photographs systematically organised and annotated, negatives carefully packed together, notes painstaking scribbled at the back of fading photographs. And then Aditya Arya’s journey of archiving began. Drawing from a collection of thousands of old prints and cracked negatives, the initial recovery has led to an exhibition of selected works in Delhi, the generation of worldwide interest in Roy’s work, and the establishment of the Aditya Arya Archive.

However, despite being extremely rich in its collection, the exhibition lacks proper references to the pictures. In a way the exhibition will be enjoyed by those who have spent time reading the Indian National Movement because then they can identify with each and every picture. For those who do not know much about India’s freedom struggle, for them the exhibition is a collection of pictures of India’s heroes who can be identified easily.

Apart from this, the exhibition is a magnificent display of the final phase of the Indian National Movement and also of the post Independent period when India was slowly taking steps towards building its diplomatic and economic relations. The exhibition is indeed worth a visit especially because most of these stories we have either read or heard or seen in the form of movies which of course has been dramatised a little too much. But to be able to see photographs, especially some of those which are absolutely rare and genuine, is an experience altogether.

For those who haven’t yet gone to see the exhibition, there is still time till 4th June for you to do so. It will definitely be a shame to miss the lifetime work of an eminent photojournalist – Kulwant Roy.

Southall came into existence in as early as 19th century when in 1801, only 697 people lived and worked on the local farms in this area. It was later in the 1790s that the Grand Junction Canal was built and it linked London to the Midlands via Bull’s Bridge, Southall, one branch going to the Thames and one to Paddington. Later in 1838, Western Railway Company opened a railway line from London onwards that included a halt at Southall in 1839.

Today, Southall is a bustling neighbourhood with a multi-faceted culture. Today when the train stops at station, one can see Southall written in both English as well as Punjabi. This shows the niche that the community has created for itself.

As part of the Alchemy festival at the Southbank Centre, an exhibition has been set up to explore the story of Southall. The exhibition starts from the early days of settlement in Southall in 1801 to the very present times which consist of the entire hustle bustle that takes place everyday. The Southall exhibition was quite an interesting one to see since we tend to take the place for granted and epitomize it with our food and shopping tastes. But little did I know that there is so much more than that.

Even though it remains that Southall is known in the recent times as “Little India”, it is not just the Indian population that resides there. As much as I learnt at the exhibition, Southall has been a home for many from India, Pakistan, Ugandan Asians, and West Indians since the 1950’s and more recently for the Sikhs from Afghanistan and Somalians. These settlements have shaped the way Southall is today for us.

The exhibition also shed light on issues of gender and race quoting examples of the racist murder of teenager Gurdip Singh Chaggar in 1976 followed by the killing of teacher, Blair Peach in the Southall uprising in the 1979. These incidents spurred the community to act in defence to let others know that this community is not weak at any cost. Another group that has received wide recognition has been the Southall Black Sisters group that has been established to defend the human rights of Asian and African women who are victims of Domestic Violence.

A very interesting area that the exhibition brought out was the importance of Punjabi music in the community and how well the music grew from simple folklore to bhangra which is extremely famous in the UK now. The exhibition also explored the two sides of Southall – Old and New. As for the Old Southall, that is seen b man as “downmarket” there aren’t many posh shops or shops with décor. There is a clear difference in terms of economic positions. The new Southall is extremely vibrant, active with a sense of style and décor. I would say this difference can be seen everywhere, it not the difference of economic positions but of different generations and thus both sides of Southall are equally precious.

It is true that Southall is referred to as “Little India” but this so-called Little India has a British colour to it. Assimilated with the British culture, Southall offers a variety for all. There is probably the only pub in Southall where you can buy a pint of beer in Indian Rupees. That brings out the uniqueness of the Southall culture.

However in the past, there have been certain concerns over many homeless people who sleep either on the streets of Southall or are given shelter in the Gurudwaras. The exhibition failed to put any light on this issue. As reports suggest, there are man non profits that are helping these people with woollen wear and food from time to time. It would have been good to see this aspect of the community as well.

All in all, it was an interesting exhibition that informed me as an individual about the history of Southall. Till now, Southall was about food and Indian groceries, but now there is much more to it. It is home to so many people who are not just Indians but from other parts of the world. And this co-existence of so many nationalities together definitely makes the community very multi-faceted and unique.

Although I must say, I was quite amazed by the level of their creativity in coming up with ideas to make money. From trying to sell small little items to cleaning the car windows, these children very cleverly invent strategies in order to earn a living for themselves. Last year when I was in Delhi during summers, I decided to know more about their lifestyles by spending some time with them. And after a couple of days, I was absolutely shocked to see the amount of ideas that go behind every act that is put up on the traffic signal.

Before coming to the details of their survival strategies, it is important to get an idea of the grave situation India is facing with regard to street children. We might be the biggest democracy in the world, but we are also home to twenty five million street children across the country. According to a UNICEF report, almost 40,000 street children die every day in developing countries and twenty five per cent of them are Indians. These children normally suffer from undernourishment and have no access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities. Many of them do not even have access to proper health facilities. They often sleep on pavements and sometimes you may find an entire family having spent a few years of their lives under a large express way or a fly-over. They change locations as and when police officers drive them away, but once the situation cools down they come back.

The children who work at various traffic signals across the country are often taught different strategies by their parents or elder brothers and sisters. A seven year old boy told me that he normally targets an expensive looking car because that’s where he gets some pocket change. He said he never wastes time on small and “middle class” cars. Such is the mind of a seven year old boy who sells box of tissues in the afternoon and sleeps on the street every night in the hope that he will make more money the next day. However, nine year old Rashmi who sells coloured pens for ten rupees each said she normally goes to the cars where she can spot children. “It is easy to persuade children because they immediately start crying for it and then their parents have to buy it,” she added. I asked them where they get these items from. And Rashmi told me that their “bade bhaiyya” (Big Brother) gets it for them. They also have to give whatever they earn throughout the day to him. Many a times these children also indulge in theft such as stealing cell phones or handbags at traffic lights.

They also look forward to Valentine’s Day when they sell a bunch of roses for 10-15 rupees. As soon as the light turns red, they would run to every couple with the bunch of roses in their hands. They would say things like “didi kitni sundar hai, iske liye le lo na” (she is so beautiful, take it for her). More often than not, they are successful as the guy would buy it for his girl. In just a small area of five traffic signals, children earn nothing less than 2500-3000 rupees on Valentine’s Day. It is not just business for diamond merchants but for street children as well.

Just as we are progressing everyday in our lives, these children don’t give up too. Every morning they get up with a hope to bring a small difference to their lives. Six year old Ankit who has a huge fascination for motorbikes said weekends; especially Saturdays are the best time to earn money. I frankly couldn’t understand what he meant by that and thus I decided to visit them on a Saturday. I reached the pavement where these children live along with their families. A bunch of kids, who were dressed in the dirtiest of clothes yesterday, looked cleaner in comparison today. In their hands they held a small steel container filled with oil. On the top of the container was a picture of Shani Dev or the Lord of Saturday, worshipped widely among Hindus.

As I stood there to watch the Saturday Syndrome in action, I realised many people falling prey to this. More and more women would struggle to find some coins in their purses and then put it into the container. I was very keen to know how much money the children make. Once the traffic signal was green, I walked to a girl who was busy adjusting the garland on her stainless steel container. I asked her how much money they normally make. She said each of them make about 70-80 rupees by the end of the day, sometimes even 100, depending on how many people respond to them. I then asked her what they do with this money. Do they give it to a priest in a temple? “Are you mad?” she said, “We give it to our parents and they pay to…” Leaving the sentence incomplete, she ran towards the other children. There was so much of excitement among them. I could see each one of them put his/her hand inside the container to see how much they have collected so far.

It was definitely not a great sight to watch. But I was impressed by the never-say-die attitude of these children. The methods might be wrong, the act might be wrong but their attitude is not wrong. These children work from morning till evening, eat whatever they can gather from the garbage nearby; sometimes if they are lucky they can find a half eaten pizza, otherwise they live on dry bread. But the time they see the lights turn red they leave everything else and run to their work. Numerous non profit organisations are working in trying to impart education to these children so that they can improve their standard of living. The government has been sponsoring mid day meal schemes in schools for children so that they are tempted to come and study. But how unfortunate it is, that despite having both- the right material and the right facilities we have failed to blend the two together. Only when the creativity of these children is put to right places, can we hope for a better future for them.

(This article was originally published at http://www.thesamosa.co.uk/index.php/news-and-features/society/284-life-by-traffic-light-delhis-street-kids.html)