By now each one of us knows about Slumdog Millionaire. This is the movie that won eight Oscars in a row few days back. While this movie has glorified Indian talent in different areas of cinema, there are some important aspects of it, which we should not miss as a responsible citizen of India.
This movie has presented true picture of human trafficking in front of us. Though this movie has been filmed in India, human trafficking is actually a problem across the globe and that too in mass. Now next question that comes is, why it happens. Human trafficking has been going on for many years. Poverty and illiteracy are two of the major reasons for this. I came across an article some time ago, which said that child development schemes by Government of India have actually done very little. Fact is that the number of children unable to have minimum food (dal-roti) is increasing every year. On the same lines, it is shocking to know that Preeti Mukherjee, the winner of Oscar at same Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles four years back, is a sex worker today. List does not end here.
What can we do to stop this? While one person can not change everything, it is each one of us who needs to do a little at least. If we contribute in some way for providing basic education and food for poor children, then it will certainly save some children, from falling into trap of human trafficking. As a human being and responsible citizen, we should contribute for this noble cause. In case we are not able to contribute our time for this, at a minimum we should support projects for education and food of poor children. I am listing two of the forums here for contribution (I have been associated with these organizations).
(1) Vibha - This was founded in year 1991 and provides a platform for individuals who want to make a positive difference in the lives of the millions of underprivileged children in India. I have been volunteer for Vibha's Minneapolis Action Center for past few months.
(2) Kartavya - An effort of my college students in India to teach poor children. These children need support for getting admitted in schools after few years of education by college students.
Let's each one of do a little to make a positive difference.
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7 comments:
A great way to get people on board for a great cause..way to go, Raj!
Thanks for your comments, Navinder.
We, the educated people, are fortunate enough to enjoy the luxury of life today and I feel that it is our moral responsibility to help the needy.
I agree with you completely, ideally the child care is a plan that ought to come through Govt to the individual...but seeing the current political situation in India, it can only be from some individual to the Govt (if at all we want something to be done) and we are all those individuals.
a happy thought with example sir !!!
Thanks for your comments, Dhananjay.
It will take decades for Government to wake up and take actions for welfare of the society. Each one of us has to take committed actions to do a little for the poorest sections of the society. I am sure, we all can make a difference.
Thank you Raj for your thoughts. Before blaming Govt as we usually do, we need to look at ourselves and see what are we doing as educated individuals for the society. We all need to do something at our own capacity. Wherever you are from you'll find enormous opportunities to help out and change someone's life for the better. I'm from Wisconsin. My husband and I have been involved in improving lives of poor families in Rural India by providing good education, access to appropriate technology (renewables, IT) for rural areas, microfinancing to empower women etc. We started very small by just helping out few and now we have some friends who are helping us grow and spread the same initatives to other areas. All these are possible if we can just take out sometime from our busy professional lives and spare some personal time for such activities. I'm sure if one has a will it's not all that difficult. Anyone interested to know what we are doing can check our website www.adire.org and look at some pictures of the initiatives at picasaweb.google.com/adirealbum
-Shree
Thanks for your comments, Shreemayee.
I agree that each one of us needs to introspect and be aware of our responsibilities as educated citizen of India. Great to know about your efforts for Adire, especially in the field of renewable energy and micro financing for rural women. Every small effort can lead to big difference in lives of many people and you have proved it. Vibha has Help Them Grow program for automatic donation program. As little as $0.65/day can fund education, health care, and shelter for a child in need.
We must think about the underprivileged section of our society and make sure to give our time & financial assistance for it. It is all about prioritizing the things and take actions to make a difference. It is high time for us to contribute for growth of mass in India.
Thanks again for sharing the details about Adire.
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