“A girl is no less than a boy. We learnt it in a session. Then, why should she not go to school? Why should she get married?”
12-year-old
Divya lives in Shanker Nagar in Jaipur, a hilly area surrounded by the historic
forts of Nahargarh and Amber. Home to
Koli Mahawars,a Scheduled Caste (SC) group, Shanker Nagar’s residents are mostly
unskilled workers.
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| Divya, arriving at her Magic Bus session. |
The earliest account of this area is hardly historic or impressive
to the tourists drawn to Jaipur’s royal forts and temples. Only the oldest
residents like Divya’s grandfather remember the struggle to find work during
those days “when most of the area was covered by forest”. Although much has
changed about the settlement, the struggle for livelihood continues to
underwrite the lives of its dwellers.
“The forests have receded. Our houses are now made of brick. But, finding a job which brings in enough money to make ends meet is still a distant dream”, says Divya’s grandfather, pausing only to remark about the insignificance of recalling a past which is no different from the present.
For
the poor of Shanker Nagar, history isn’t demarcated into eras. Divya
belongs to the same Koli Mahawar caste as the rest of the families in Sunder
Nagar. Her father is a plumber and mother, a homemaker. The monthly income of
the family stands at Rs. 5000.
Divya
reads in the sixth standard of a local private school. She has two brothers.
One of them goes to school while the other is too young to be enrolled. She lives
with her extended family: three uncles, aunts, grandmother, and several
cousins.
Her
perception of life is influenced by her parents’ constant encouragement to
dream of a better future after she completes her higher education.
“I want to be a doctor. People in my community laugh it off saying I can do no better than my father. But, I know, I will prove them wrong,” she says.
She
joined Magic Bus a year ago. “People living in Shanker Nagar lack gainful
livelihood options. Most of the inhabitants work as unskilled labourers just
like Divya’s father. Alcoholism is common. Initially, there was no open and
safe space for children to come out and play. The area we chose for our
sessions was a little away from the community, right at the foothills. We made
efforts to ensure that children are safe when they come here”, says Magic Bus’
Neelima who is in charge of the Magic Bus programme in Jaipur.
Her
words are echoed by Divya. “Our community used to be unsafe for children
because of alcoholics. Once during a Magic Bus session, a man approached a girl
in my group to “play with him behind the trees”. Bhaiya and didi (local
terms referring to Magic Bus’ Community Youth Leaders) immediately protested.
I, too, stood up and asked the man to back off and mind his own business. I did
not feel afraid to stand up to a man twice my age. Such incidents are common
but we have learnt not to remain silent”.
Divya
shares how a girl in her area was sold off by her own uncle so that he could
buy alcohol. At
a personal front, she has often faced crude jokes for being “dark-skinned”, a
quality, her neighbours and children of her age, associated with “difficulties
of getting a groom without paying a large dowry”.
Her dream of being a doctor
has been rebuffed by many as an impractical and impossible dream as she was a
“daughter of a plumber”.
Such
incidents have led her to recognise the unequal treatment meted out to girls
and women. It has also helped her find a way to address them through the Magic
Bus programme.
“Silence is definitely not the way out”, she says emphatically. “Ever since I joined Magic Bus, I have grown confident of my ability to make it big in this world. With my mentors support, I have stood up to people who tease me about my skin colour or look down upon my dream to become a doctor. I have decided never to discriminate or tolerate discrimination, she shares.
She feels that other children who come for the
Magic Bus sessions have changed a lot in the way they behave with each other,
particularly towards children of the opposite sex. “Children who would earlier
say demeaning things to each other, or behave rudely have changed their ways
after coming to the sessions. Children who come to the Magic Bus sessions stay
away from alcohol and substances. I have seen many of them encouraging their
peers, and sometimes even their parents, to give up on alcohol and other
substances”.
She
points out the exact reason for her interest in the sessions. “All of us get to
learn something new when we come to these sessions instead of sitting at home”.
The lessons learnt during the sessions are not quickly forgotten. They are
discussed in the peer circles and with parents. Divya’s mother testifies how
her daughter is always excited about the “new information” she learns at Magic
Bus sessions.
“She is the leader among the younger children. She makes sure no
one misses out a session”, shares her mother.
“A girl is no less than a boy. We learnt it in a session. Then, why should she not go to school? Why should she get married?” she asks. Her parting question tells us much about a 12-year-old’s conception of a gender-equal world.
