Despite the scorching summer heat, the street children of Delhi have something to cheer about.
Sahitya Kala Parishad is currently organising a Mega Children’s Festival at Poorva Sanskritik Kendra (PSK) in East Delhi. The five-day affair began on June 21 and will continue till June 25. Apart from schoolchildren, most other kids participating in the festival are destitute and homeless, adopted by various NGOs and juvenile centres in the Capital.
Till last year, the Sahitya Kala Parishad held separate workshops. “But this time, we came up with the idea of integrating and organising them in the form of a festival,” says JP Singh, assistant secretary (Drama) at the Parishad. The festival focuses on dance, drama, music and fine arts. “Initially, it was very depressing. The kids were slow starters. But after a month of practice, they picked up,” says Suneeta Gupta. Gupta is from Om Nad Brahm, an organisation that trains children in Hindustani and Carnatic music.
As part of the festival, 38 workshops are being held all over Delhi of which 18 will be held at PSK alone. Most plays enacted by children are based on the works of famous writers, like Premchand and Chekhov, and Indian folklore.
“I enjoyed my summer workshop. I made new friends,” says Raju. He is homeless and was one of the over 1,000 children participating in the workshop.
{{/usCountry}}“I enjoyed my summer workshop. I made new friends,” says Raju. He is homeless and was one of the over 1,000 children participating in the workshop.
{{/usCountry}}Singh says that many children who participated in the workshop had either suffered some kind of abuse or had a criminal background. “We thought of these workshops as a means of bringing them out of this vicious circle and develop their latent talents through music and fine arts.”
At the end of the festival, these children will be handed a certificate of appreciation by the Sahitya Kala Parishad. Judging by the overwhelming response, the Sahitya Parishad also intends to make it an annual affair in its summer calendar.