It was no more than a fleeting encounter on a train, but her memory still lingers, like the fragrance that her name evokes: Bela, the Indian name for the Jasmine flower with its sweet, enchanting smell.
Every day kaleidoscopic images mirror myriad facets of life as it unfolds before our eyes as an eternal enigma that India is. But we hardly seem to notice them, or if at all, with a cursory indifference, to be soon forgotten.
Then suddenly in a flash, something happens that holds everyone captive, first as a cameo moment with its wide-eyed–wonder effect, and secondly as a haunting memory that refuses to go away.
It was no more than a fleeting encounter on a train, but her memory still lingers, like the fragrance that her name evokes: Bela, the Indian name for the Jasmine flower with its sweet, enchanting smell.
But I’m afraid I digress somewhat. So perhaps we should revert to that “cameo moment”. That’s when we got to see a tiny wisp of a girl showing off her acrobatic skills in the limited space of the packed Telangana Express bound for Hyderabad from New Delhi, India’s teeming and giddy Capital.
She couldn’t have been more than seven years old at the most. But her frail body and small size, less than 2 feet in height, made her look more like a 5-year-old.
For her performance, a short kurta or a tunic with a dupatta tied around her waist like a sash, and trousers made up her attire. No shoes on her tiny feet though. But it didn’t seem to matter at all. Sparkling eyes, an upturned nose, and a perky smile lit up her elfin face, framed by a mop of short hair.
The underlying message was obvious, that life is all about living it, no matter what. Yet for many it is a constant and daily struggle against hunger and poverty.
Although government outreach schemes of free education and healthcare to mainstream such people, do exist, a wider and bolder thrust is required to make the implementation of such programmes more effective
She couldn’t have been more than seven years old at the most. But her frail body and small size, less than 2 feet in height, made her look more like a 5-year-old.
The number of such performing artistes is legion. You’ll find them everywhere – in trains, buses, railway platforms, beside roadside stalls or shops, and often at traffic intersections as well. Singing, or playing some musical instrument like flute, harmonica or harmonium, or performing acrobatic stunts are their sole means to eke out a living.
These performers begin learning their special skills from the early age of three. They imbibe these skills from their parents, who were once juvenile performers like them. Most of these children are the offspring of gypsy folk or ‘Banjaras’, hailing from various districts of Rajasthan in north-west India.
Although government outreach schemes of free education and healthcare to mainstream such people do exist, a wider and bolder thrust is required to make the implementation of such programmes more effective.