Words formed by exulted beings. Beings that had the capacity to describe and give expression to conditions that they may perhaps have never faced or experienced. Conditions that we see and perhaps hear about within and about us but are never able to do anything about it. There are very few examples of those that felt the pain of such an existence and actually went out and did something.

Today I played a small role in doing both. Witnessing abject poverty and then being able to contribute in doing something about it.

I also witnessed another experience. The wonderment and amaze of displacement. Of humans that find themselves in an environ that is alien to them. That have never been exposed to what we would normally consider ridiculous not to have.

I shall talk of this first before going to the other.

Around 50 children of different age groups from 9 to 15-16 years living in the Poonch area in the Northern regions of Kashmir have been brought down by the Army to give them a tour of India and allow them time to spend with aspects they would never be aware of. Like what a train looks like ! Or proper roads and highways, airplanes. Nothing ! They have never seen anything like that ever in their life. They are there in the office, regimented, wearing their red uniforms with appropriate logos on them declaring the name of this mission, peak capped and silent.

Silent and without expression. Straight faced sombre and the look in their eyes of deep amazement. They do not smile, they do not express anything. They just be there, in wonder and in awkwardness of predicament. Not a word is spoken by them. I greet them and they greet back as though in an involuntary state, bereft of any feeling. And I wonder if they have been brought out too suddenly into a world they just cannot understand or perceive.

A few pleasantries and photographs later I leave, still wondering what they must mull within themselves. I can understand the gesture to bring these children out and introduce them to the rest of the nation, but Poonch and its remoteness has not helped much in bringing some cheer to the kids. Or perhaps the excitement of the moment has made them all so quiet and dumbstruck !

A short while later I am at YashRaj Studios to shoot an episode for ‘Lift Kara De’ a program designed by YRF where they involve stars and their most favorite fans and what they can do , or must do to get to meet their most favorite star personality. Applications are invited, and a process of selection begins to search countrywide for that person that through his love and devotion seems to the judges to be worthy enough to partake in the tv program. Three probables are selected from all over the country and they are then sent to a city selected by the celebrity which is close to his or her heart. That done the three contestants are then taught a craft and sent out after initial learning to earn a living within a given period of time. The one that earns the maximum amount within a stipulated period of time wins the opportunity to visit his most favorite star. The star is in conversation with Mr Karan Johar on set, at a studio (yrf ) where this program is being conducted and recorded. The fan gets to meet the star, the money he earned in a day to get here is announced and then the show multiplies the amount a few hundred times to give the needy person an amount of money that could change his life.

The poor, in abject poverty is then brought on to the set in the show. He has no idea why he has ben called. He is then explained that and the multiplied amount is presented to him by the celebrity in cheque.

An interesting concept and executed quite efficiently, but some of the sequences that lead up to the moment when the player and the played meet, were difficult to behold.

However, what I found in similarity to that described earlier was the expressions of those that had come into a setting such as this for the very first time. The fan, the poorest of the poor that he helped in some way to come to the show and the kids from Poonch, all had the same look ; of one stupefied by awe.

What was most astonishing was the look of unbelievability in their eyes. The fan had undergone some very intense penance to be able to meet his favorite, and the poor was beyond description. He drove an ‘ekka’ - a horse drawn carriage in a small town. His wife was ill she having been paralysed waist down after delivering their fourth child, a child that was born defective with no hands. The man earned 1000 Rs a month, about 50 - 60 rupees a day. That is a dollar and a half a day !! How he survived in those conditions is just humanly impossible to imagine. The visuals shown were heart breaking.

He has now through the efforts of the fan been able to travel to Mumbai and the show along with his ill wife and children and in the presence of the celebrity told for the first time why he is there. The amount earned by the fan to get to his favorite star is announced and multiplied by the thousands to reach a substantial figure that he could then put away and get relief for the rest of his life.

What the fan has earned through his own labor is often in the hundreds, multiplied, it converts into hundreds of thousands. For someone on a dollar a day existence, this is a life changing moment. Looking at his condition I have donated another substantial sum to add on to the figure he has won and now I believe he could go back in peace and fulfillment, never perhaps to get his minor son, an 11 year old to go out and work for a living so they can feed themselves.

Show protocol does not permit me to say further, but when the broadcast is over I shall elaborate in greater strength.

Moving and disturbing moments these for me today. And as we sit in the comfort of our rooms and indulge ourselves in the luxury of the facilities available to us, I ponder on and about those who live their life in penury and want.

For their conditions to improve the State must build schemes to bring benefit and succor to those that have been affected. But relying on the State alone will get us no where, we must do something ourselves in all matters such. The joy of giving and the satisfaction of contentment in the lives of those we help, will never be replicated. Can never be replicated. Our generosity will never be able to match the amount of help required, but I believe helping even just one such case, would allow any of us to sleep with the thought and peace of a good samaritan.

Dear Lord !! We are thankful for thy bounty ! And pray that may it fall on all those that suffer.

Amitabh Bachchan