Rabindra Sadan's Bijoy

Before starting anything I would like to say something. All the information provided was collected by me during the period of May – July when I was on vacation in Kolkata doing my internship at CRY. Every day when I used to go for internship I had to get down at Rabindra Sadan and walk half a kilometre to Rabindra Sadan. While walking on the pavement I saw a child about 5 years of age begging while sitting on his mother’s lap. I noticed it about for a fortnight and then unable to control myself interacted with them.
In the meantime I regularly gave him some monetary help but I doubt that really helped their living. The mother and the child were well accustomed with my face because I generally used to pass by that place at the same time. But when they saw no monetary help came from my side and instead I sat down, they were a bit offended. The mom said, “You also came to take some photographs and write something about me and then publish it anywhere. Are we things to be played with or display items kept for window shopping?” I said in a quiet manner, “The person whom I am helping every day, I have come to be friends with them”. Saying this I handed a cake to the child and asked his name. In reply he said his name was “Bijoy” which means victory. But he never knew his name had a great irony hidden. A broad smile came on the child’s face. I was really pleased to see this. Then the first thing I said was that where do they stay all through the night. The mom promptly replied they live just inside of the Rabindra Sadan Mancha behind the staircase, and during the rains they had to shift in the Nandan Theatre ground. It was really a shocking reply for me. After sleeping on a cosy bed and getting every luxury of my life at my fingertips it was really a very bad dream to me when I thought their way of living!
I then asked them what they have in the whole day. The mom started shedding her tears and pointed to a “muriwala”, and then says she remained starved most of the days but she ensures that her child gets atleast something to eat. The mom buys “muri” from that person and somedays when the “muriwala” earns a good amount of revenue gives them some amount of free “muri” which the mom eats. The food that the child eats does not amount to 1230 kcalories.
And it was really foolish of me to ask that whether the child goes to any school or not. The mom said that the child might not know even the meaning of school and it was pretty natural. After this interaction I went away giving a packet of biscuit to the child. The child seemed to be happier but the mom who showed her management skills and kept the packet aside for the latter part of the day.

Debangshu Dinda
CRY Intern
KIIT Law School