Good morning friends
On Saturday, we both visited the ‘ Divya kala mela ‘ at MMRD Grounds at BKC. This exhibition showcases the artworks and other products like food items from persons with disabilities. It is an initiative by the Department of empowerment of persons with disabilities. We wanted to have a look at the exhibition as 2 of our friends have stalls here.
Swasti Mehta, ( our friend’s daughter) has Down’s syndrome and is a special child ( now an adult if you count her age ). She is an entrepreneur who sells a drink called Pudina Punch. The taste of this Pudina Punch is amazing and once you taste it, you can forget about all other drinks and stick to it whenever you feel like a drink. Apart from her Pudina Punch, Swasti is a fantastic person, always smiling and welcoming you to her stall, appealing to you to taste her Punch, even if you don’t buy or order it ! She is a wonderful salesperson, also advertising the sugar-free cookies of Varun Sawant who shares her stall numbered 16. Varun has Autism and he is passionate about baking. In spite of his handicap, he has completed the hotel management course and started his own business of cookies using jowar or nachni with jaggery. They are very tasty and I could not stop myself from buying them. Apart from baking, Varun is also a long distance runner, taking part in marathons. As we talked to Varun’s mother, she expressed her gratitude to the doctors and occupational therapists who guided them about alternative choices of education ( NIOS ) which helped Varun tremendously.
Another NGO, the Awakening Charitable Trust, based in Ratnagiri, has a stall in this exhibition. The founders and Trustees , Shamin and Shashvat Shere are close friends and we have observed up-close their dedication about empowering people with disabilities. Their NGO creates purses with traditional warli designs and also other items like bedsheets, coasters, table mats and other gift items.
Another stall which caught our attention because of the peaceful vibes emanating from the stall, had an artist from Manipur, creating a beautiful collage work. His creations are lovely and worth decorating our walls with. I’m sorry to say that I don’t have his name or stall number, but the exhibition is not huge, so you should be able to find him easily.
Another stall had wooden artwork and we actually saw the artisan sculpting his creations on wooden frames. Some of these resembled the Japanese dragon deities.
One more interesting stall ‘ Ecomade’ was selling bio degradable pens , made of paper. Only the refill is made of plastic. An interesting concept of this pen is that after the refill is over, you can remove it and plant the paper covering in soil. It contains a seed at the bottom and can grow into a lovely plant. I am waiting for my pens to be used completely, so that I can plant them and grow the plants.
There are also many other stalls selling handicrafts and food items and clothing. We could buy biodegradable plates and bowls from another stall.
Generally, when there’s an exhibition of persons with disabilities, most of the visitors have a lot of sympathy for them and have a subconscious attitude that they are helping someone who needs help. Many times we also have a feeling that we are doing them a favour by buying things from them. I used to have a similar attitude earlier. But now that I have known Swasti and her family very closely for many years,I know that the reality is absolutely different. Rather than doing a favour to them, I am being benefited tremendously when I come into contact with them. There’s so much to learn from them and their families: their grit and determination, their positive attitude towards life, their incessant efforts to overcome the obstacles with a smile on their face…. I learn all this and much more from them. And when I see them heroically facing the challenges of life, I feel ashamed to complain about any deficiencies in my own life.
With respect to Swasti, I always find her smiling and enthusiastic and moreover, she is always in the present …not in the past or the future! ( which is what meditation is all about ! ) She is mature beyond her intellectual age.
As I was talking to Darshana ( Swasti’s mother ) , I came to understand that this exhibition is a wonderful initiative by the government to give opportunities to persons with disabilities. The stalls are free, food is provided for them, travel expenses are reimbursed and accommodation is arranged for those from outside Mumbai. There still are a few lacunae, but I am sure that they will be sorted out eventually. The government is planning to hold such exhibitions in 4 major cities.
The exhibition is on till 25th February from 11 am to 9 pm. Do visit it not just to buy things, but to experience the wonderful atmosphere, and to meet in person the shining live examples of families standing up to the challenges of life and winning !
Love,
Anjali Bhatawdekar
