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India, a Land of Contrasts
Ron King — Bobcaygeon, ON As we travelled through Kolkata on the first day, every where we looked we saw contrasts between the dreams of some people and the reality of others. On one side of the street was a high rise apartment that cost millions of rupees to purchase. The price included all the furniture, appliances and a car. This is a dream come true for those who could afford it. Compare this to the street outside the development. It was lined with homes made of cardboard, some covered with plastic or a tarpaulin. In addition people were sleeping on the sidewalk with no shelter, and small children were playing in the dirt. This is the reality for millions in India. The sight of many Hindu Temples caught our attention with the beauty of the mosaics and the amount of gold that adorned the statues. Many thousands of worshippers visited these temples on a daily basis. Contrast this with the many small roadside temples where faithful people worshipped and local priests were available to minister to them. India is a country of many faiths and the people worship in the places that are available to them. Prior to one of the distributions we were entertained by a young boy who played the harmonium and sang several songs for us. He was dressed in a school uniform that indicated he may have attended a private school.
Compare this to the hundreds of very poor children who sat on the floor in front of him and listened to his beautiful music. They had come to receive a SCAW bedkit. As we made our way to distributions in the country we were treated to driving conditions in the city. Through the smog our driver dodged rickshaws, cars, trucks, buses, people, cattle, and dogs with great skill and we arrived safely at our destination. In the countryside the smog had lessened to some degree and we shared the road with small 'boxes' on wheels filled with school children and rickshaws piled high with cauliflower. People standing knee deep in water worked in the rice fields and others harvested vegetables. The markets in the small towns sold flowers, beans, rice, goats, and many other products to the local people. As members of the SCAW team we tend to look at these contrasts from our North American point of view. We soon learned that these contrasts made up an important part of the fabric of the country. India is truly unique.
After completing the distribution in Barrackpore, we visited one on the many museums that honor the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi. Many of his sayings were posted around the museum and revealed his philosophy of life and were inspiration for his followers. One caught my attention: "The law of love can best be understood and learned through little children." The vision of Margaret and Murray Dryden has offered us as team members the opportunity to witness this law of love. Who will ever forget that smile from a little child as they were presented with that bedkit? We remember hand shakes and the quiet thank you's. Some were suffering from physical disabilities and were carried by a parent to receive this gift of love. All these images will remain with us as we return to Canada and continue to tell the story of SCAW. We cannot ignore the contribution of the Rotary Club of Dum Dum. Their dedication, their organization and hours of selfless work helps reduce that gap between the dreams of some and the reality of others. All 6,500 children of the Kolkata distribution, say thank you to the donors for caring and sharing. |
