Skills for Life--Dilemma, conflict, truth, humanity…Children’s books
tugging at the strings of your heart
Moral Science can often be a boring lesson at school, unless few
teachers wanted to make it interesting, by bringing stories and the questions
associated with them- what do we think right or wrong? Suddenly as a 9 or 10
year old, to be asked about our thoughts and decisions used to be a big deal,
engaging us in discussing with each other, falling upon our limited experiences
but with clairvoyance and of course giving us the agency. Stories did that very
well. Suddenly putting yourself into the shoes of those characters and trying
to think as you would in those space and time, made me imaginative and of
course my ever-lasting love with stories was inevitable. I remember once when
we were discussing one particular story Elves and the Shoemaker, especially
when the happy shoe-maker loses his peace when he was no longer needed to toil
hard for a leaving. At the age of 8 or 9, I really could not understand why
would one lose his peace when he gets all he wanted and still wanted to work
hard. What was it that was missing and so dear to the shoemaker even amidst his
penury. Those were the years of innocence and tinted glass, where you want to
wipe out sorrows and pain from everyone and you look at poverty only through the
angle of a single story- the story of deprivation and oppression, and not the
story of inherent human dignity. Even now, elves and the shoe-maker intrigue me
a lot, especially now when I somewhat know the development sector and the fund
dependencies as an adult.
However how do to bring curiosity and question to the young minds. To
not give them answers and make them imaginative thinkers. Especially when it
comes to intrigues like right or wrong- not to make them followers but seekers.
And isn’t seeking a skill for life?
I always look for books which bring forth such dilemma, especially
when it comes to children and I have a few to speak of.
Satyadas by Bimal Kar – adapted by Katha with beautiful illustrations.
Stayadas doesn’t tell clearly about a moral practice but poses a
question. Its about Raghunath, running a small grocery store in a small colliery
town of Bengal. He struggles to make ends meet, however is not bereft of
empathy towards fellow human beings. This inherent sense of human connect
prompts him to give shelter to Satyadas, a stranger peddler on a rain soaked
evening. Satyadas goes away next day, but leaves back some gold coins and thus
his part magic presence becomes temptation to Raghunath. Raghunath waits for
Satyadas to be back for days and then in utter need, he falls back on these
jewels. The stones symbolise the eternal clash between good and evil, while the
six gold coins embody the six seasons. A year later, and after Raghunath has
spent the gold coins, Satyadas returns. This time he is an embodiment of
conscience. For when he goes away, he leaves behind a guilt-ridden Raghunath.
The author portrays Raghunath’s inner conflict skilfully as he battles with the
demons inside him and debates the rightness or otherwise of having taken
someone else’s money. However indeed we may side with Satyadas and understand
Raghunath’s act as that of treachery, dishonest. However, was Satyadas for
real, never claiming his possessions and what would one in the place of
Raghunath do, when it comes to the question of survival or keeping up with the times?
Even for an adult with absolute stand and clarity between right and wrong,
black and white the book with lovely charcoal illustrations give a sense of
grey. Would be interesting to know how a young reader will think about this.
Pinti Ka Saboon:
Pinti Ka Saboon is another interesting story based now in Kumaon, in a
small hamlet at the foothills of the Himalayas. The little hamlet was indeed
aware of fragrant soap- they had seen Pinti, the once stationed army officer’s
daughter using it and leaving a trail of fragrance behind. But none in the
village ever possessed one, till Hariya won a nicely packed and wrapped piece
of pink soap. Possessing something which none had, gave him a sense of power
and alienation. The relations coveted to him now seemed to him as a threat, who
would try and dispossess him of his new-found treasure. This engulfed him. The
simple Himalayan foothill village suddenly becomes a place of conspiracy,
threat and enmity for him. And it also brings in a cloud of unrest amongst
others in the family and village. Something they were happily unaware of in
their equal status quo of not having. A very interesting story, for all. And for
children, for all that we often covet, it’s a cue to make us think, all that we
want, are we ready to share it with everyone?
Curfew
Curfew again is a story of inherent human bonding. Posted in the
conflict ridden city of Shrinagar, soldiers in charge of curfew, suddenly find
themselves in an awkward position. They become one and all with the citizen’s
struggle to carry on with life, with the natural ebb and flow, sometimes
picking up ball for a crying infant or passing food from one house to the other
across the street. They find themselves torn at the inner war within them to
listen to the call of life and its demand, or to bring in the iron hand, alibi
ensure peace and security. This is
something which should be introduced to young people, to make them understand
the multiple possibilities, the existence of multiple stories..
Ek Anmol Sathi ke Liye
Ek Amnol Saathi ke liye is more about moral courage and taking a stand.
A young impoverished painter gets a commissioned work- his make or break in
life, to pain Buddha, with all animals in the universe barring cats. The guy
however had a pet cat and had a unique relation with the little cat, who was
his only friend. In the eyes of his little friend, he saw the desire to be
included into the canvas and he decided to go ahead, to place the little cat
with the all forgiving Lord. Once discovered, the monks were furious. However
once the portrait was revealed, it showed Buddha placing the cat on his lap,
showing the universe has a place for all. It’s a beautiful story by Rosalind
Wilson adapted by Katha.
Aapni Aapni Pasand
Vijay Dan Detha’s story are part magic, part folklore. Katha’s
adaptation of the story through beautiful illustration is interesting yet
thought provoking. As an adult there are different angles to look at the story.
The story is about two women a florist cum gardener and a fisherwoman. One fine
day they meet and decide to swap their places. For few days they remain happy,
till they start missing their old professions, the smell of fish, the scent of
flowers. If I want to look at it from an angle of caste and class, this will be
a little unacceptable for me, where somehow the story ends with both going back
to their old states-However there can also be a more philosophical way of
looking into this, related to the core belief or value of one self. Would be
great to know how children will look and think of this.
Fledolin
Fledolin is the story of the little bat who almost embarrasses his
community by defying what is considered normal or natural. He doesn’t enjoy
hanging upside down. The illustrations are immensely engaging where it is seen
everything upside down is normal and Fledolin on the other side. The parents
and other bats are wary of his future, till the local yo-yo competition comes,
where Fledolin’s deftness to deal with gravity helps him to win. This is
interesting to raise self-esteem and also to question what is normal finally.
Wings to Fly:
This is a beautiful book of little Malathy, pinned to the wheel-chair,
but wit hopes to win competitions though running. This is in fact the story of the
remarkable disabled athlete Malathy Holla.
These books give the scope to imagine, think, and question. Why a bat should
not hung upside down, will also give the trust to hope that a girl in he
wheel-chair can win races, its possible. Multiple possibilities and stories
exist. Soldiers not only kill but are also human beings, and Kashmir is not a
place of militants but also of children who want to play in the streets. Its
fine to win gifts and ask for more, but like Pinti, will more not make way for
having less love within me for all around me. Also shall we not listen to the voice
within our hearts, our authentic voice, since right or wrong as Satyadas said, “
you know within yourself”… and hence reading these books can also be a journey
of seeking….
