GEETA NAGAR SLUMWORLD




Spoke to the teachers about the importance of teaching the Children that we are children of One God no matter which religion we belong to, as all the Prophets, Incarnations, give the message of love, peace and brotherhood! Teachers have the biggest responsibility of inculcating these values. Gifted the my 'Dadi Nani ki Kahaani' in Hindi



Children in the Balvadi of Geeta Nagar


With Sagaya Mary. She lives in the slum, is a teacher and looks after the Balwadi. Children, teachers, residents were neat and clean but...The slum definitely needs bathrooms...They are happy with steps that leads them to rocks near the Ocean, which acts as a natural flush...I came back home full of sadness for them, gratitude for what God has granted us...



Kavita Kapoor, Ms Maya Shahani, Mr Shridhar Naik look after the welfare of Geeta Nagar slum. I went for the flag hoisting ceremony.
INDEPENDENCE DAY'S EVE



Gave a talk on the Power of the Feminine on Independence Day! We say Vandey Mataram, right? Poonam giving me a gift on the occassion.





Aarti Hundalani Myself and Nimu Daryanani. aarti, won the best prize. She also gave a short speech: Main aapki bahu hoon,Hume vote do, Manmohanji acchey aadmi hain, Singh is King!





Anita Kewalramani and Myself. Note us members being dressed in the colours of our National Flag



The Group 21 celebrated Independence Day. In the photograph, the 3 Gracious hostesses Poonam Mulchandani, Rani Daswani, Shramila Dadlani with Rooprani Samtani


Today is Independence Day! Today went to the Geeta Nagar slum to hoist the flag...Gave my Dadi Nani ki Kahaani in Hindi to the teachers...Shall put up photos later...but in the meantime read what my friend Rani's 13 year old grandaughter has to say, this Independance Day...It echoes my feelings...God bless this future leader of India!

Questions I ask myself...

As Independence day approaches, the atmosphere is full of patriotism however I always wonder why this ambience is not there through out the year – Why is it that only when Independence day is round the corner that we throw a glance at our national flag, we smile with a thousand emotions whizzing in our heads?

Why is it only in this month that we actually realize how much our country has suffered?
Why is it that when we hear A.R. Rehman's Vande Mataram that a lump forms in our throat and a chill runs down our spine?
Why is it only when we see patriotic movies that we acknowledge the fact India is such a great democracy?
Why does the media have to be a constant reminder that India is a free country?
Can't we remind ourselves?
Are we ashamed of our country otherwise?
Or do we conveniently forget that we belong to such a great nation?

Why is that only on days like Independence day or Republic day that we are reminded of our freedom fighters?
Why do we underestimate our nation so much?
Why do we literally worship the white?
India has given the world phenomenally great people like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Sunita Williams, Kalpana Chawla, you and me...then why are we hiding from the world?

On Independence day we praise ourselves for being Indians, but are we really worth it?
By seeing the amount of self respect we have for us and our country, I don't think we deserve that pat on our backs. Look at the image attached..Is that how proud we are of our tri-colour?


Some of the richest people in the world are Indians, then why do we claim India as a poor and unimportant country?
Why is that only on the 15th of August that we wear the tricolored bangles and plant a miniature flag behind the windscreen of our cars?

I would call you a liar if you would tell me that you actually draw yourself up to attention and take the national anthem seriously every time you hear it.
I would also think you are spinning yarns if you tell me that you sit and respect, appreciate and remember what the learned man draped in Khadi has done for us, for at least ten minutes every 2nd of October....After all, who cares? It's just another holiday...

I, being a typical Indian too, do not practise what I write but I want to someday...
"I AM PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN"- I fear that these words will fade away in a few days....

Ishitaa Bhatia, 13
J.B. Petit High School for Girls.