Was it the colour of your skin that instigated the suffering directed at you and your family? Your book puts the focus on the pitiable conditions the Anglo-Indian community was forced to endure.
The colour of our skin did make us 'different' but did not instigate the suffering. And this suffering was inflicted not out of hatred or malice, but ignorance. We were different, dressed differently, behaved differently, and therefore, stood out. In a very large slum, this was bound to be the case. People could not understand what we were doing among them and why we were there in the first place. The Anglo-Indian community was forced to endure a lot, and because we were not even on the SC & ST lists, there was no help from any source. But the same can be said about hundreds of the poor today. My book shows how we suffered, how our community suffered and how the poorest of the poor suffered. Why we suffered is what I wrote about; but suffering comes in many forms, and the idea is for people to relate to it and then use my example to do something about it. It's the only way for a country that does not provide welfare and where the value of life is almost non-existent.
Despite the worst-imaginable conditions of your existence, how did you keep such a positive approach — it couldn't have been easy?
It was, I think, the trauma of having to accept that my little sister (the fifth on my family's death list) was going to die because of malnutrition, poverty and hunger, that started it. It felt as though everyone, even our country, had given up on us. Somehow, at that point, I didn't care about myself but just wanted that the little ones should not die any more. Some people describe it as a power of believing without having seen, but today, I know that it's that first decision that can start a neurological process that can change your life forever, as it did for me.
Was there any effort to 'fit in'? Would that have helped? Or was there a gender issue too?
Yes, as far as possible every effort was made — all of us always felt we were Indians first. But, sadly, we couldn't change the way we looked, our living conditions and we couldn't change the number of men we encountered on a daily basis. It was also a gender issue. My little brother did not face as much as we did.
It must not have been easy to forgive those who treated your family in such a way?
I feel no anger towards those people. In fact, I feel sad that if only they knew better, they could have done so much more. And that is what I want to help people to do — one, to change their lives and, two, to help their neighbours, extended families and communities - through education and change of mindset. A person is NOT their behaviour. Everyone is good, they just act out of not knowing better. I truly believe that all that was done to us was done not out of hatred or malice but out of ignorance and weakness.
Did your parents or you feel that your community (the British who left soon after Partition) had let you down?
Never, we were given the opportunity to leave but my dad, even while his sister left, chose to stay on. My father regretted it only when he saw our suffering but never blamed anyone. In fact, he always said those people behaved that way because they haven't been taught better and we should help them. Recently, I met a family who stays close to the slum we once lived in and it was heartening to hear them talk about my mum. They said the family owed a lot to her.
What was life like once you realized your dream of going back to your 'real' home — London?
The living conditions were much, much better, but mentally, it just wasn't the same. Every moment there I long to get back and work for the people I've grow to love. I have tremendous opportunities out there but it is here that the real work needs to be done. I can never stop being grateful for what some of the poorest of the poor did for us, the way they saved our lives, and I want not just to give back but save lives through awareness, education and by using myself as an example (which has already meant so much to so many).
But the scars remain?
Some of us still carry the pain and it does still hurt in different ways. But, personally, I feel that all that happened to us was for a purpose. I've accepted it not as my fate but as a blessing because I would not have been the person I am today without having gone through what I have. And that's what made me write 'Indian.English.' The idea was not just to tell my story but to motivate youngsters to understand that, irrespective of the circumstances they are born into, they can change their lives. I've always felt extreme pain not just for people who suffer out of poverty but also for those who are not even aware they can do something about it. Sadly, the point cannot be made unless and until you tell it all.
You are now helping the impoverished and destitute in Kolkata live a better life.
Everyday, and that is why I took to inspirational and motivational speaking. I want to work all over India, but have a deep love and passion for the city of my birth, Kolkata. People across India need help and I hope to reach out to as many as I can.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
'The Anglo-Indian community was forced to endure a lot'
Dengan url
http://obecedes.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-anglo-indian-community-was-forced.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
'The Anglo-Indian community was forced to endure a lot'
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
'The Anglo-Indian community was forced to endure a lot'
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar