GREY SHADES OF A GRAY WORLD

That day was finally here. After reading about it in the papers and watching images of it on television since childhood, I was there myself. It was the start of the Maha Kumbh Mela. A unique congregation of humanity had converged on the holy city of Haridwar. As I stepped into the town, I could already sense the special status given to it in Hindu mythology. Right from the railway station to the Ghats, there was only one color...orange. On the Ghats, one thing that I saw immediately and which didn’t surprise me at all was the image of a mother treating her children equally; whether they be rich or poor, fair or dark, boy or girl, Ganga Maiyya (Mother Ganga) had stretched out her arms for all. You know that when you immerse yourself in the waters, it is like crying and seeking comfort in your mother's lap. You want her to forgive you for your sins and she being a mother, she does so without questioning. ...

As the the temperature in Delhi dips to an all-time low and all we fortunates tuck ourselves in the warmth of our quilts and blankets at home ...there are more than 1,00,000 homeless people who survive these chilly and harsh winters by luck and some goodwill on part of a few kind-hearted ... There are 31 night shelters in Delhi constructed by the government and managed by a couple of NGOs. The average capacity of these shelters is 250 people, which means only 7750 lucky souls can find roofs to sleep under. Nobody knows what happens to the rest. .. Many of them die due to the chill ... their deaths go unnoticed as they are unknown or don't exist in the statistical charts of the national capital of India. Last night, I visited around 5 night shelters across the city, both permanent and temporary. A  lucky soul  at one of these night shelters told me: "Jo aaj andar hai kal woh bahar ho sakhta hai...aur parso upar ho sakhta hai..." (Anyone who is ins...