A Pure Girl named Purinam, Smiling Amidst the Poverty – Portrait Photography
What’s behind the façade?
One can travel India’s major roads and main streets for days, even for months, without seeing the real India. If one does not turn onto the backstreets and explore the small villages and slums where most Indians live, one will never learn of the real India.
One Friday evening, our company cab took a short cut, down one of those backstreets. As I gazed through the window, I was surprised and even shocked. We were passing through a world that I had not seen during my first few months in the country – and which I did not even know existed.
Look further
I decided to go out and explore.
The next day, I walked down those backstreets. I passed through several old villages, and soon arrived at this slum. I met this cheerful and vivacious young girl named Purinam, and spent the next hour or more trying to communicate with her and her family. And I occasionally went back to visit her – just to learn about the real India.
Ah! Hidden beauty
Her family’s home was a tiny, rough shack. Her father’s “easy chair” was his cycle rickshaw. Her neighborhood was definitely not beautiful, and would probably never undergo any “urban renewal projects.”
But Purinam was a beautiful and pure young girl. I hope she has continued to smile, to express her beauty, and to find more beauty in her life and in her world.
This is my entry in @juliank’s Portrait Photography contest.
You have such a tender sensible heart. You notice beauty and expression and that is what empathy and art are for me.
Thanks for your kind words.
India has several different communities and they all often coexist in the same neighborhoods. The country leaves you with wonder and hope and at the same time sad and confused. I am there regularly and often try and understand how such despair and devaluing of life can be allowed in a contry with such wonderful people. Ad how can a government not make it a priority to improve the lives of all Indians. A lot of it relates to their belief systems and the fact that like China they are several "countries" under one flag. This young girl has a very bright spirit. I hope that she can find a good and better life. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for your insightful comment.
In fact, the government has a few token programs that are intended to fight discrimination and support equality, but in fact, the government is one of the worst perpetrators of the system.
The only thing that gives one hope is – as you say – the "very bright spirit" of people like Purinam.
Re the similarities or differences between India and China, since Deng, it's been an expressed policy of the Chinese govt that it's "good for the average Chinese citizen to become rich."
As for the Indian govt, it could not care less if the 500 million Indians living in abject poverty never earn more than a few rupees a day (US$2/day).
Granted, the Chinese govt is not filled with beneficent angels, but the Indian govt's stance is unconscionable.
p.s. Thanks for the resteem ... from Chiang Mai.
p.p.s. Happy Thai New Year! Hope you are drying off!!
Thank you for your comments an the New Year wishes. Yes we have had a lot of fun last and this week with lots of water and partying too.
Yes the way poor Indians are treated is simply horrible and the upper classes justify it as part of their religion (Hinduism).
There are very poor people here in Thailand but there is a strong sense of community and we have local governments that seek out those who are in need and then they rally both the government and the local community to help. As a result few ever get left behind.
I have Indian friends here and I speak with them about it and most are ashamed. I tell them to go back and do something. Even if you only help one person it can make a difference.
Thanks.
Those Indians who are ashamed are the respectable ones. Many of the elite feel no shame whatsoever, and in fact are quite haughty. Definitely not my type of people.
I've travelled in Thailand many times, and have now lived here for 7 months, and yes, I notice a much stronger sense of community, and have seen numerous people give what little they have to their family or their friends. I've seen such behavior throughout SE Asia, and am always awed and impressed. And it makes me want to do what I can to help those kind people.
I find the social bonds and the decency and the humanity in such poor countries as Laos and Cambodia to be much greater than in India.
Since a strong and cohesive society makes for a strong country, I believe most of the countries in SE Asia will develop much faster than India, which will be forever dragged backwards by its backwards caste system.
Onwards, Thailand!!
Thanks for the kind words and glad you like it here. Yes there are some good Indians. SE Asia developed completely differently and the cultures here look at life and people very differently as well. I also think this part of the world will develop faster than India. As you can tell there is a lot of energy here and a balance trying to be kept between progress and family values. It is certainly a challenge because the world is moving so fast, but with some good luck the balance can be kept.
If people can pull away from some of their beliefs for a moment and look instead for results, then they can perhaps realize that just because something is a tradition does not make it right. In the meantime it is right for us to point out the bad stuff when we see it.
Are you in Thailand now? And if so, what city?
In Chiang Mai. I'm Canadian, but had been living in Singapore for 5 years. When I lost my job last spring, I "retired," and decided to live in Thailand for a while – since Canada's quite expensive.
Now, I sometimes spend 9-10 hours per day on Steemit, or preparing more posts for Steemit. But it's better than working for a company! Much better!
Unfortunately we see it every day, and after a point of time we DON'T see it. It is wonderful that you took time out to visit the family.
Strangely, a lot of these poor people don't want your money. They are actually the people who NEED it. But they rather earn they living the hard way, and are not looking for hand outs.
On the other hand if you give them time and respect, they value that a lot. Because that is something not everyone gives.
Yes, great point. One thing I realized over my 4 years there is that the ones who cannot see the inequality are the upper-caste people. I guess they are so accustomed to "the way things are" that they cannot see reality for what it really is.
And, to a great extent, the downtrodden do not even realize they are downtrodden.
Very sad.
The upper castes are not 'blind' to the situation. It works to their advantage to keep the status quo. If the downtrodden move up in life then they will be competing with the upper castes for education, jobs and in every sphere in life. Not something they want. Of course, I am generalising here!
Again, thanks to the local culture and religion. One's birth is accepted. If you are poor and deprived it is because you 'deserve' to it, thanks to your actions in some previous life. People are so thoroughly brainwashed into believing that the caste structure is gospel truth.
Social inequality exists throughout the world, but perhaps nowhere has inequality been so elaborately constructed as in the Indian institution of caste. I hope she has continued to smile, too.
Excellent point. The caste system is deplorable.
Some (upper-caste) Indians told me that India had moved past and beyond the caste system. But it was still evident, almost everywhere one looks in the country.
This article is a bit daunting. I'm sure that few people even think about the fact that he lives perfectly. To many it is always small. But, when I see what surrounds this sweet girl - I understand that I'm a happy person. As Einstein said: "Everything is relative!" Good luck to you and Love.
Good point. Whenever I visited her neighborhood, I'd look around and wonder how anyone could live there or be comfortable there.
But from Purinam's perspective, that was her home, the only home she had ever known. And when she was with her family and friends, she was happy.
If I ever have to live in a similar situation as Purinam, I hope I can still be content and happy.
Great post!!!
I enjoyed your content. Keep up the good work! It's always nice to see good content here on Steemit!!!
Cheers :)
Life in India is much worse than this, they have got some shelter but people here sleep under the open sky, walk barefooted, eat from dustbins and much more
Yes, I know. I met families living on a barren charpoy under some trees at the side of the road. I saw people doing their laundry at a public tap at the side of the road, and then putting on their still-wet clothes.
Those people had little reason to smile. At least Purinam had a "home" of sorts, and was able to be happy. Many live lives of such destitution that they can hardly smile.
True
We are alive They are also alive. If think about their life, I feel very sad
Sad, true. But, .... notice her happy smile! Awesome.
She has a beautiful name just like her.
True. In fact, I had forgotten her name, but when I went to copy this photo for Steemit, I saw that I had named the photo after her. Lucky!!
Good job!
I really appreciate you taking your time and walking down the backstreets of India. :D