LITTLE RED RIDINGHOOD

LITTLE RED RIDDINGHOOD

-SANGHAMITRA GOGOI

MACJ

Its Monday morning and i have taken a break from the hustle-bustle of life. A cup of instant coffee and the tuning dew drop at my balcony soothes my mood perfectly. These are the ingrediants to drive my thoughts back in a time machine. Now this flashback of mine appeared not because surrounded by positive vibes but because i was reading a poem ‘the  Red Dress’ which had so much similarity in this girl who use to be my neighbour. This drove me into a roller coaster ride to those days when i would observe this young lady being dressed up beautifully for the sake of her own joy. She would sing the sing of her own glory, of her prince charming and not the least the freedom of life.

She was cheerful child until she was sold by her parents at the age of 15 year to a man who she never came across. She was married at an early age and this took  a turning point in her life when she was shut down by her own blood who she thought was her world.

Now, she is someone whose only identity is the word kitchen. She is confined to only one place that is her kitchen. But then the containers and the food which she prepares aren’t from her pocket. It is her husband who pays for the tummy. Even if she owns the kitchen, in reality she doesn’t possess the four wall of her house. She doesn’t have a word on any decision neither she has any identity. The world which she dreamt off was much better and lively than the present world in which she dwells. Where is that white coat which she thought would wear it one day, where is her stethoscope which she thought would treat people here is the surname Dr. Which she boastfully said would be hers one day. Everything literally everything has gone to dust and this she calls it hell.

Now her only job is to be inside the four wall and to look after her husband’s needs and desires. What more can we expect from a child whose age is to explore the universe? People call themselves educated when they acquire a high positional job but lack in basic humanity. We say that children are the future citizens of our country then why do we shun them in the name of marriage, dowry, foeticide etc. The red colour dress which was once the symbol of freedom and happiness to that young girl slowly turned out to be the symbol of danger, exploitation and sadness. 

SOCIETY ROOTED WITH IRONY

SOCIETY ROOTED WITH IRONY

-SANGHAMITRA GOGOI

MACJ

Recently i watched this documentary title- born to brothels. This documentary which was Oscar nominated received Oscar award for the brilliant description of these set of young children born to mothers who are sex workers or what we called as ‘prostitute’. This word is a taboo in the culture and the context of the Indian society. Therefore most of us are banned to even utter words related to prostitution in a cultured society.

When i watched the entire 2 hour documentary with my curious gaze, i learned a lot regarding their stay, living condition, the kind of work they do and most important the dilemma of the children born to these section of the people. When you interact with these groups of young and energetic children you won’t feel for a second that they are going through a bad life. Their smile pure and innocence will break your heart into spasms. They would share their opinions on their mother’s profession with utmost maturity. This will keep you awestruck for a second because you would be surely wondering as to how they have acquired so much of maturity.

When being asked regarding carrying forward their mothers profession, they believed in not accepting the norms of their family and rather create their individual life’s motto. They want themselves to get educated and go too far off places where there is no such world like theirs, where they will be free from the burden of their parents.

Amongst these few children there were also few who are forced to join their mother’s profession even if they don’t want to join. Even if they want to shut their doors tight, they will have to loosen it because society demands and keeps the trade in the forefront. These children have bountiful talents and when they are given a camera for a day, they captured moments which they thought was beautiful and that was how their world looked like. It was a world which was coloured with the seasonal blues.

Nothing bothers them but the society where people look down upon on them on the cause of being born to brothels. They find them impure even educational institution who teaches all forms and structures such as education for all, treat the poor with humanity, respect everyone etc. Now where do sandwich respect in the context of their teaching when the core person denies sharing education with the children born to sex workers. It is a matter of shame for a nation where they can only talk but do very little.

EYES THAT CAPTURED THE WORLD

EYES THAT CAPTURED THE WORLD

-SANGHAMITRA GOGOI

MACJ

People say money isn’t everything and that money cannot buy happiness. Now how much of our population will choose to eat bread without butter is a matter of thought. It was winter and i landed the crowded streets of Calcutta on the eve of Durga Puja. What joy, what food and what not? From delicious misty doi to mouth watering fish curry and many items on the list. I was with my cousin Raunak wandering around the streets greedily. Meanwhile my eyes caught the attention of this little boy who was begging for food in one of the foot paths at MG. Road. I wonder what irony to see a child to beg on the eve of celebration. The little boy seemed like an 8 year old waiting patiently for passengers to drop down money or food on his empty mug, where on the other side of the story we see the elite society enjoying the flavours of food, few wasting them too.

 I never endorsed the concept of wasting food when we are still discussing poverty in our country. We see many children who are not privileged with basic necessities of life such as food, shelter, clothing. I was filled with awe to find this little boy in worse condition. I wonder what would be his world look like? Is it similar to what we picture or is it different? Mostly they have dreams bigger than the universe and which they keep it close to their heart but then who will guide them their trip to moon? The torn out clothes and the empty mug have become their signature style since ages. Even if they want to break the shackles of poverty they are unable to do so because of change mentality of the people.

I went to him and offered him the leftover sweets i had out of humanity.

 I asked him- ‘how do you feel in the eve of festive season’?

His answer was as dark as his world, and he replied to be with utmost politeness saying- ‘ I don’t feel that I am anymore part of this world because it makes me feel worse during festive season. I see young boys and girls enjoying puja. They buy balloons, play games, eat good food, buy clothes which i cannot afford to buy neither my family can afford to give me. People pass by and they laugh at us by looking at our condition. I keep my head low to ignore the embarrassment’.

These were this 8 year old boys words which throbbed me inside out. I could not tolerate the inhumanity which a little boys eyes captured. I could not visualize the sight of people laughing at him and taking their life as a matter of joke. Even if i want to do something and even if i want to scream out loud to those people who creates a dark image of them on our behalf, this society where we live will hold us back and will never allow us to put words in their mouth to voice back. Writing is one powerful tool to make people aware of such stories stories. I did my part when will you?

THE INERT COLONIZERS

THE INERT COLONIZERS

 

-SANGHAMITRA GOGOI

MACJ

Sometime I question myself on the very fact of calling ourselves being liberated souls, as democratisation is nothing but a mantra chanted by people inorder to garment themselve. Are we truly free from the shackles of law? Is law being justified in the present scenario? If i take up the issue of violence on children especially violence on girl child it would indirectly boast male chauvism as in few fraction of the society, the male egoism still prevails. Why not take up the cause of ‘2012 Delhi gangrape case’ where a college going student was brutally murdered in the name of stereotype. She might not be a child but for every parent their son or daufghter remain their child. Now when we talk about stereotype, they are nothing but false belief which people hold close to their self. These are the set of ideals which people fail to bridge the gap. Slowly and gradually this takes up the form of violence.

The primary cause of ‘Nirbhaya’ case was her untieing the knot of the generations belief i.e a girl must remain inside and she must not see how life is at night neither she should be allowed to step outside the fourwalls of her room. Did anyone write a law which says that a girl must remain in and that she should be restricted anywhere and everywhere. If we donot follow these old beliefs then what? We fear our life because if a girl takes up a wrong move its not the societies duty to protect her but it will be the very society which will tears her apart.  She in short remains a puppet in the malevolent world. A living object with no choice of her own. How life would have been if these set of belief were never imposed? Without these stereotypes peoples life would have been less stressful and plain.

When a mother leaves her daughter at a different location she remains stressed up until and unless she hears a call from her daughter every single day. After all she is a mother as we say. Now this is another reason why beings democratic and having the right to choose our own decision we tend to remain as mere warriors chasing for life in a battlefield. To master the courage of living a care free life when you have a daughter in your hand is a place to dwell upon. It is the irony to call ourself being liberated when we have dozen parasites roaming around the streets of our country to suck the blood from you.

In the present scenario media portrays violence, filmmakers write stories on violence, poet and writers contribute and gives voice to their victims and the victimisers. We read Anna Akhmatova, kamala das, Mahashweta Devi depiction of violence and how they gives voice over the issue of violence by giving a voice to the victimisers. This is therefore an irony for us to call ourselves liberated  from the shackles of the inert colonisers.

RE-DEFINING RIGHTS

Re-defining rights

 

-SANGHAMITRA GOGOI

MACJ

 

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word violence? You are terrified, eyes wide open and that you are shaken by the fear of chaos and injustice. Nora is an 8 yr old school going boy who recently murdered his school teacher. Will we the audience consider this scene as violent?

he answer to the above question is absolutely a ‘yes’!

There is a world which works under this parasitic devastation and this is violence. We human beings are sensitive to cases similar to Nora and why will we not be? A point to be noted down. It is because we happen to be living in a complex society where safety is a word which is fancied upon by the higher authority. When we talk about rights, we start picturing ourselves either in the form of Durga Ma or Jhansi ki raani who battled for their rights. But here the scene takes a dimention when we give voice to a community who we think is less powerful then us. They are children and we synonym them as innocent, lively, powerless. Are they actually powerful or innocent? Time has changed drastically and along with time generation gap is clearly observed. We see right as a weapon of positive change but we forget to break the fourth wall convention of the positivity.

 This incident took place in the year 2006 and like most other teenagers around me i was a newcomer to this new world of ‘violence’. I saw this 8^th standard boy brutally murdered to death by one of his batchmate. And sadly this all happened over a tiffin issue. This became the talk of the town, people started questioning the school authority and slowly and gradually after few years things started to fade out. When you as a child see and hear to all these issues surrounding you then what will be your immediate response to this heneous crime committed by someone who have acquired the skilled of murdering someone inside the school premises infront of the crowd and secondly someone who is of your own age. Do we name tag this as our child right or should we change the so called definition of rights? Your liberty doesn’t give you the power to play with a soul. Where do people acquire such courage and skills to uplift their power. They might have followed shakespears lines devotedly where he says that- ‘this world is a stage and we are mere players’. Now if we interpret this particular line in our own terms then surely we will end up losing our game. Society directly or indirectly holds the position of an entertainer and more or less they turn up to show their thumbs down signal  to all these issue but fail to prove their consent over such matter.

Who do you think should we blame?

Society, parents, school authority or the frail laws imposed by our government. We don’t know neither we have facts regarding these all issues. Where we can say that we as an individual and society should be blamed. According to the criminal law, violence is a serious offence. Now how much have these power structure proved their law. And how much have these laws made stringent. Think of few backward locality where issues such as emotional, social and physical violence take a rowing face. It’s a loss of face for the once breathing the urban air whose mouth is filled with good words and good deeds an beyond which no negativity emerges. But they do talk of peace, liberty, justice and sadly these issues have merely become a talk show rather then something which could bring some positive change. But cutting across the limitations society whispers hope and this would be enough to work for an upliftment.

HANDS THAT SPREADS FRAGRANCE

HANDS THAT SPREADS FRAGRANCE

-SANGHAMITRA GOGOI

MACJ

 

Recently when I was attending this seminar on violence against children, a thought pricked me with regard to a recent case on my stay in Delhi. This story is of a 10 year old child with whom I thought of interacting during my visit to a friend’s place located at Lakshmi Nagar, New Delhi. He is a child labourer working in a factory producing incense sticks. Wonder how the environmental condition would be for a child to work in such adverse situation. When I was 10 years old I remember my mother telling me not to play with match sticks or any sharp object with fear of getting myself hurt. Like all parents even she was concern about her child’s safety. But the atmospheric condition in which these children work are clear cut evident of the ignorance of the people and the government. The dingy wall belongs to them is what we think and the hard work they face everyday is what we don’t feel. Most of the children even lose their eyesight at an early age, which for me is an extreme sorrow. The face of this little boy was masque pale and motionless which resembled the shape of an object without life. It seemed as if his entire childhood had been snatched away from him by people whose thoughts run the society. The society including the owners who seemed more like a grim reaper makes promises on providing them a better life out of this kind of work.

I asked him with utter sorrow – what is your age?

He looks up and replies softly on my ear- I am 10years old

I asked- did your parents send you to school?

He replies- no

I asked him again- do you want to go to school like other children?

The reaction of the child was worth capturing when he grasps my hand and said ‘yes’ with immense joy gleaming in his eyes.

I felt culpable at my remark when I promised him to take him to school as soon as possible. He was as normal as any other child who would love to experience their school life. They fantasize about the books, bag, pencil and most important school. What is school is yet to be explored by them. But then deep inside me I knew the truth. But then their’s a truth regarding children who are caught in a rat-trap. The truth regarding his future. In India the child labour has become a common sight. Wherever you travel in every nook and corner you will find this little child sitting alone and mourning about his lost childhood. You will also find children below 18 years old working in such condition. They have been taught the wrong dictionary of the term ‘education’.

 Should we as audience tolerate the vileness of the society and their strategy for money making?

The answer is yet not been discussed as we believe that society by and large talks about these issue but does little research to come out of a solution. This as a matter of concern should be bought to the limelight. The Child Rights started in 28^th of November, 1989 and was accepted by India on 11^th December 1992. But then the success for implementing these rights was scarcely seen. Therefore a child right is an issue of social development. What is parent’s role on their children is yet another matter of concern. Children whose parents are illiterate tend to make mistakes in sending their children to factories in order to earn their living. The root cause for all these issue could possibly be poverty. The knowledge of poverty has been inscribed in their mind before they were born without trying to grab a child psyche on their emotional and psychological pattern. This is a huge mistake parents make when they introduce their children regarding their economic condition at an earlier age thinking that they might show themselves as responsible and matured. This is completely wrong on parents behalf to commit such careless without due knowledge. Therefore one must keep in mind regarding the care and attention they provide children because they are the once who will lead the nation at a much later age.

 

HUMANS OR PARASITES?

-SANGHAMITRA GOGOI

MACJ

 

They say ‘By teaching you will learn and by learning you will teach’ but then how many of us have shown concern to this proverb?

I remember my trip from Mumbai to Bangalore reason being my cousin’s marriage at Koramangala which is regarding as the porches location in Bangalore. I always would picture Bangalore as the educational hub where education for all children is given focus. Once in the evening when I was heading towards the juice junction which lies right beside the eye optical I could see small children age ranging from 7-12 years old selling pen and, in return asking people for Rs. 20 bucks for each pen. I was sullen by the reality of these little wanderers who have less option for them unlike us. They are poor and on top of that they are being exploited on a massive scale. Now which government in India fulfils the goal ‘Education for all’?

The answer is nobody!

It has become a talk show where people come and present themselves by giving their enlighten lectures making them equal to non-other than political saints. A child came to me and offered me these bundle of pens which she was holding on her delicate tiny little hands and on her left hand shoulder was a bag full of pens. Out of pity i asked her ‘who makes you do all this?’ she stood silent and her innocent eyes were on mine. I asked her again ‘Dont you want to study?’ ‘Dont you want to write with this pen?’ With that I could capture her nodding. Later she joined her companions who were into the same business of selling pen. Isn’t it ironic to see a small girl holding a pen and then trying her level best to sell a single pen. She should have been using that pen for herself as a matter of education. But here we find her selling half of her education to people.

When will they get a voice for themselves? The level of exploitation is increasing drastically and the exploiters such as the business mongers are continuously pushing these innocent lives a foot forward to increase their shadowy business. And children due to their poor social condition are forced to accept their fate. More than the exploiters the exploitation is more griefful.

What benefit will children get after sacrificing their education?

Possibly a penny or two for a day. One day or the other their contract with their master will get over. What will be the next scene after that? Their mind have been brainwashed in such a manner that they have lost the ability to think for themselves. Now for them their work is education and this gives them immense pleasure. For them education means ‘go sell a pen’ because they have been following the wrong dictionary for the term education and this is how violence follows.