The dacoits of today

Remanambiar · Jun 15, 2010

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Chp%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><style>  </style> June 2 nd , the day my daughter turned 21 .We wanted to mark it as a special day .Suggestions poured from al l over but I had a secret wish …I wanted to throw a party for the children at the local orphanage .The idea was welcomed by one and all .So I set out planning the menu and the goodies we would take there I got the phone number of the institution ..contacted the administrator and had the list of the number of children there .our excitement knew no bounds .Just a week more for the D day ….the morning newspaper carried the headlines ,"Food poisoning in the orphanage and many children taken ill ".Reading the headline my husband eyed me skeptically , “So what do you think we should do ?” In the wake of this if we went forward with our plan we would be eyed with suspicion as there is now a case charged .” My enthusiasm burst like a bubble .Who has done this to the poor mites ? Was it left overs from a feast ?Would they feed their own child such food ? .There were no details (covered up as usual as per my husband ) .The next two days carried even worse news .The orphanages were illegal and now it was being looked into .I couldn’t believe this .First the children are poisoned and now this .I suggested we pay some money so that the sick children get good treatment “.And get associated with their crimes?” The police are looking into this and if you donate anything now there might be an enquiry on us .” retorted my husband .I felt cornered and dejected and to my mind came the story from an old Hindi text of mine .Maybe some of you too have read it in your school days .
The story is of a sage who owned a beautiful horse The sage used this horse to visit the needy and the suffering in the village .This horse was coveted by a local dacoit chief .He made many attempts to steal it from the sage .Each time he stole it from the stable the horse found its way back .Then one day the sage was on his way to a nearby village on his horseback .He spied a traveler lying on the road side .The kind sage dismounted and went to attend to the man .Just as he reached him .the man threw away his blanket which covered him and revealed himself to be the chief .He had done this to steal the horse .The sage seeing the chief made only one request .He asked the chief to take the horse but on one condition that no one was to know how he came to have it .The sage said , “if people came to know that you took the horse from me by pretending to be sick ,no man will stop to help a genuinely sick man if he come across one, fearing that it might be a robber in disguise.”
The times have not changed .The situation is the same .The dacoits still live in the guise of different organizations and charities we hesitate to help fearing these dacoits in disguise ..We turn our faces away from the genuinely needy and poor fearing them to be shamm ing
To come back to our birth day celebration .we had a subdued one as my daughter decided she had to be mature about such things now . We used the money to buy some winter clothes for the children of the construction labourers who live in tin sheds adjacent to our compound .

Arunarc · Jun 15, 2010

Hello Rema
It is really sad to read about these kids. How can anyone do such a thing.
I liked the topic you have put on dacoits of today who are one in the name of charity.
Mostly orphanages who have the approval certificate from the government are really good ones. It is best to ask them this certificate before helping such institutions.
In the end you did do some type of charity for your DD's birthday belated wishes to her.

sujathaumakanth · Jun 16, 2010

This story has been an all-time favourite of mine I always use it at the slightest excuse, twist the morale to suit my needs !!!

It is sad that even good intentions are not being able to be carried out. However in this age when young people throw huge birthday bashes on their 21st, you are indeed gifted with a truly mature and lovely gal who would like to help others on this day. Belated bday wishes to her dear !!!!

dharma · Jun 17, 2010

Dear Rema,
You are very correct!!
I am always worried when I pay money to orphanages, whether they will be properly used, rather beneficially! So, I go though social investment managers, who identifiy meaningful causes (not just poor-feeding) like
financial help on the spot for 'anthima kriya' etc. Since they do it for a cause with good intention, goodwill etc to society, they provide us prompt feed backs. We can directly visit the concerned persons.
I know a person in Madurai, who has established a big kitchen, near his house, coooks with the help of a staff, carries in a van & feeds physically & mentally challenged persons, literally on the streets.
Their mission is
Committed Care for,

Helpless, forsaken, mentally ill, old, sick,

roadside destitute

living and dying in the streets of Madurai

by providing healthy food, love and

opportunity to rehabilitate,

Restoring human dignity.

Love,
Dharma.

ojaantrik · Jun 17, 2010

You have made the point absolutely clear! Even charity and love perhaps can turn into an object of suspicion. I suppose kindness needs to travel incognito, in the interest of both the receiver and the giver. May be that's the way it should be. If we could somehow remove the word "I" from our lives, the world could turn better. But this is easier said than done.

radsahana · Jun 17, 2010

hi rema

Even i agree with you, sometime, with good intention to help, we are unable to do so. Your option is good of buying winter clothing for the construction children.

Even on our DDs bday, we go to orphanage. If there are kids, sometimes it is better to buy books and pencils for their study.

But as u said at the end of hte day, u never know, whether our humble intention will truly be fulfilled.

Remanambiar · Jun 19, 2010

Dear Aruna ,Sujatha, Oja,Dharma and Radhika,
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on the topic .I know for certain that some times many of us are caught in the dilemma to help or not to help The decision is a difficult one to make especially now -a -days .Some times i fear that what little milk of human kindness is left on this earth will dry up and be gone for ever if things go on like this .
But we will make a difference and wont let it dry up some way or thw other
Thank you once more .
Love
Rema

Sriniketan · Jun 20, 2010

I agree with you Rema on the dacoits theory.
When any natural disasters strike, even if we want to help..we don't know whether the money reaches the hands of the needy.

Belated wishes to your daughter..and happy to see that you saw your help went to the hands of the needy.

sriniketan