Ankur Bora
There are individuals who choose to act with courage and
kindness no matter how daunting the task is. We have seen, time and again, how considerate
and kind actions not only have the capacity to change the world, but our very consciousness.
More than a decade ago, I met such an individual who introduced me to the joy
of a “life in service”. Lukose Cheruvalel was born in the southern Indian
state of Kerala. Young Lukose decided to move to Assam, a path yet untrodden. With
courage and passion for serving, he dedicated himself with grace and compassion,
to the service of street children.
In the year 2006, Father Lukose visited America on work purposes and I was fortunate to meet him in person . He
came to our residence in Dallas and it was one of the most memorable moments
for me. I was totally impressed by his fluent colloquial command over the
Assamese language. He spoke Assamese like a native would. A very humble and
delightful man with love as if radiating from his very being, Father Lukose exuded
his mission to save street children from the horrific clutches of desolation
and abandonment. Our conversation led to many memories and reflections of his
past stirring experiences. There were a number of people who helped shape his
life and destiny and notable among them were Mother Theresa – “It was at Mother’s
funeral that I resolved to start the Snehalaya homes.” Father Lukose truly believes that the search
for God ultimately leads to children, as they are His most precious gifts to
humanity and thus he founded the Snehalaya Homes in Guwahati in 2001. With
unwavering patience and persistence he led the organization which became a caring
home for homeless and lost children.
Every child of Snehalaya has his or her own tales. “They
face harsh realities of life. It will be of great help to them if they get the
opportunity to expressing their feelings and emotion in a creative way. It's
our duty to heal their pains and make them happy," Father Lukose was
narrating some of the heartrending stories while seeking donation and support
from the expatriate Assamese of America. One was the saga of a mother and a
father and their agonizing wait of ten years to find their long lost daughter.
Ramua and Savithri used to struggle every day to meet their
ends. They were too poor to provide their daughter Bakuli two meals a day.
Thinking of a better future for her, the parents with a heavy heart, agreed
when an effluent family came and offered to keep Bakuli as a domestic
help. To part with their little daughter
was heart wrenching to say the least but hoping that their little one would not
only receive shelter but also avenues for basic education and a better future
they tearfully bid their farewell goodbyes. Little did they know that their
five year old daughter would be treated harshly which would eventually cause
her to run away. This incident happened almost ten years ago; no one including
police helped them to locate their daughter. Bakuli was almost forgotten by all
who knew her in her village, but not by her parents. Her mother would weep for
hours every day remembering her little one.
As the story goes, Bakuli escaped from that family and
landed in the Guwahati railway station. There she wandered around for several miserable and haunting days,
alone and vulnerable, frightened and hungry. Then one beautiful day, as if God
came and lifted her up, offering hope and comfort, when she got rescued and
brought into Snehalaya. Thus Bakuli moved from the dark and sordid days in the
railway station where her future would be doomed and bitter to a place of love,
warmth and security. She was provided with education, support and opportunity throughout
her long ten years stay in Snehalaya. However, Bakuli was not able to forget
her family. She would cry for hours remembering her parents and her little
sister. Father Lukose tried all means to locate her lost family. He even called
a press conference requesting popular newspapers to publish her story with the
hope that someone from her family would come forward to own her. Fortunately,
the news was picked up by the parents and finally the family was reunited. It is
a true story of courage, hope, compassion and persistence with a reinforcing
message that such miracles can happen even in the most unfortunate
circumstances.
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| Visitors to Snehalaya ( Biju Barbarua , Lanu Aimol , Debojit Bora , Bidyananda Barkakoty . Late Kaushik Das) |
This story simply demonstrates how human beings when given
the most basic emotions of love and attention, find significant transformation
and discover their humanity , dignity and happiness. I, personally, am moved by
two things in that story of Bakuli. One is the courage shown by Father Lukose –
the bravery in his decision to open a free residential care for exploited
children and his determination to eliminate trafficking of young children from
labor and abuse. The other thing that lives within me is his compassion – compassion
so profound that Father Lukose still inspires us even a decade later.
In the last fifteen years Snehalaya, through various
initiatives, is taking the young at risk off the street and making them self- reliant
through education and skills training. They continue to reunite lost and
run-away youth with their parents. However the institute itself is going
through a difficult phase. “At present we have about 230 children both boys and
girls. With rising expenditure, it is becoming increasingly difficult to
provide for all the children” – We recently received a communication from a staff
of Snehalaya seeking donation and financial support.
As a child, my grandmother used to tell me, “Whatever you
give to another will return to you ten times.” At this Festive Season of the Year,
when abundance rejoices, let us remember that there are many among us who are
in want of common necessities and there is no surer way to attaining infinite joy
than giving back to society. Let’s give your time, your talents, and your
donations to make a difference in other people’s lives. By giving, you express
abundance and let your thought, word and action be the reality of your
life.
