A human pyramid by students of Neev at the cultural programme at Sarat Sadan. Picture by Gopal Senapati

 

Their fantasies come alive only when they sleep but when they wake up, all they find is poverty and squalor. This hard-nosed reality was reflected through the musical plays staged by the students of Neev, the English-medium free primary schools for underprivileged children run by Chhatrachhaya, a philanthropic organisation, in Howrah, Burrabazar and Cossipore.

The programme, Sitare, organised at Sarat Sadan on November 23 was the first cultural event held jointly by the three schools since they came up one after another after 2011. The programme gave the children of the schools a rare opportunity to show their talent. “The first school was started in Shibpur in 2011 after which another school came up in Burrabazar in 2013 and the last opened in Cossipore this year. This was the first event where students from all three schools took part together,” said Mousumi Ghosal, the co-ordinator for Neev Howrah and Cossipore. “The main purpose of the programme was to show that these underprivileged children could be as talented as any other children if they were trained and guided properly,” added Ghosal.

The programme started with a song, Aguner parashmoni, with all the teachers from all three schools holding diyas in their hands, signifying their effort to light up the lives of the underprivileged children. The little ones from Lower KG and Upper KG recited nursery rhymes and also performed regional dances. But the most touching items were the musical plays, Asha and Udaan, based on the lives of the children. Asha was based on a child’s desire to go to school while Udaan had to do with child labour and how these children fantasize in their dreams. Their little friend, Chota Bheem, was also in a short play. This was the first cultural programme of Neev and next year there are plans of organising a sports event for the students.

Dalia Mukherjee