ANOU’S BLOG
for a handful of spinach…
Have you ever wondered how much a handful of spinach costs? A few coins on a market place, a little more in a fancy store... and a few leaves picked up in a field would not be missed by its owner.Not quite. In a remote village in the state of Bihar a little 10 year...
a very special tree
oThe world celebrated Xmas. In a tiny lane of an urban slum in Delhi a bunch of very special kids did too. Just like children all over the world they wanted a Xmas tree and nothing could stop them.Nothing to write home about, some would say, but what if I told you...
a very special xmas gift
Xmas has always been a time of joy and giving, of cheer and even miracles. As you grow up you stop believing in Santa, but there is always the anticipation of finding out what the little packets around the tree contain.My xmas gift came a day earlier and in the most...
tale of two Indias..
As winter sets in in India's capital city, once again we get reminded of the existence of 2 Indias. While one is busy preparing for highly westernised festivities, the other is huddled around makeshift fires simply trying to survive.This is India a land where extreme...
the cotton carder
I happened to be standing at the gate when the cotton carder went by. Hearing the high pitched sound of his carding bow was a Proustian experience as it brought back a flood of long-forgotten memories.There was a time when you could plan your day with almost clockwork...
a verdict of hope
The Jessica Lal verdict is out. It took a long time coming. Wonder why as she was shot in a place filed with Delhi's own page 3.For seven years we were almost mute witnesses to a mockery of justice where the entire system connived to save the killer who was a is said...
what makes news…
What makes news in our land? I wonder. or let me rephrase the question: what makes lasting news.. The reason I ask this is because for the past week I have been trying in vain to get an update on the plight of the Ghaziabad girls and their abuser!Just two tiny weeks...
never say die
Imagine my surprise when a mail dropped by this morning from another land asking me whether I would give a motivational talk to the staff of a big organisation. The reason stated for choosing me was my can-do-never-say-die spirit.The idea was daunting, particularly...
of quotas, castes and reservations
We just have completed a socio-economic survey of all the pwhy children. Among the questions asked were the place of origin, education of parents and caste. We wanted to validate what we knew intuitively: more than 80% of our kids belonged to some reserved category or...
sometimes you wonder why…
project why came into being to try and answer some of the innumerable whys that stare us in the face demanding answers. the answers however remain elusive and bring more questions and as you carry on you realise that apparently simple questions lead to deeper and more...
even she smiles..
I just got some pictures from katy who has been a regular visitor to the ghaziabad ashram for the past 4 months. Somehow she never gave up, even when others did..I spent a long time looking a them and was moved to see how quickly and easily children forget the ugly...
we need you
I have been perturbed about the future of the ghaziabad girls. Often when I am uneasy about something I sit quietly and let my thoughts wonder in an unbridled way. It fills the terrible emptiness that threatens to devour me, and often brings some solutions or at least...