Stars behind Clouds

         "My dress is so dirty. Like me, it comes from a small village; a village that is my identity. My mother and father love me a lot. They try their best to provide me food, shelter, and all their love. I miss them when I go outside, or when they go to work. They’re so loving that they make me feel at peace. Yes. I am… I am a boy belonging to a so-called backward, lower-caste family. People look at me as if I am a wild beast. As if untouchability is in my very blood. As if I am incapable of education. They think I have nothing. That I can never contribute to society. I may not have a livelihood and face many other problems. But, I want to go to school."

Many times I have cried for others, that day was one of them. I have visited a fair number of schools till now in Sirohi district. I have experienced and learnt a lot. On this particular day, however, I was so overcome with emotion that I broke down. I had to visit a school situated in a fairly well-connected village. I reached there in a jeep over-stuffed with passengers. Once there, I saw the grand spectacle of “Independent” India through the ground reality of our schools. Yes, we gained our freedom 67 years ago, but we are still strangled in the clutches of the evil caste system.

I met a boy wearing shabby clothes. Even his body seemed grimy. He was seated in the corner of the classroom on a dirty carpet. He captured my gaze the moment I entered the room. When I enquired about him from the class teacher, I was told that the boy belonged to a lower caste which is why he was seated in the corner. I replied, “Caste may remain at home, but you can vanish it in the classroom”. The teacher helplessly replied that the villagers would never be willing.

At this moment I could not help but be reminded of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and the struggles of his childhood because of caste. India is a great country with the supposedly unique characteristic of “unity in diversity”. It is a grand umbrella of a country, but divisions and gaps still prevail among us even after all these decades of independence.

I sat down next to the boy. He smiled, but I was crying. In that very moment I felt true inner peace as a Human Being. His eyes had such depth, and such fear. Children have learnt to hate him because of his lower caste. He is served no mid- day meal least he pollute anything or anyone. Not only was the class separate from him, it seemed like society too had isolated him. He looked happy with my sudden presence, and that I was talking to him. The teacher requested me to sit on a chair, but I refused.

The sky is the same for all of us; so are the moon, stars, and planets. Everything seems permanent. These may be clouded by darkness, but this darkness is not everlasting. The clouds pass and give way to bright sunshine that washes earth with dreams of hope. I asked the little boy a few questions, and those moments are unforgettable to me. He was the bright star of the class shrouded in darkness.

Our country has many bright stars hidden behind dark clouds. Hopefully, they will awaken soon. We need a change in weather; change in society. Sometimes we forget about them. We need to search for them. We need to break down the caste system, these shameful, dark barriers. This little boy will hopefully witness Humanity one day.

We in a “civilized” society need to become aware. These stars will awaken very shortly and shake us awake too. Those days are coming. They are surviving, fighting, and contributing to society. Like the little boy, they can teach us too. He never shouted or drew attention to himself. He remained in the dirty, dark corner of the classroom, he never demanded his rights, which is why we forgot about him. And like him, countless others.

Strong gusts of wind need to break these dark clouds covering such bright stars.

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