The Bala Mela, Bangalore- Childrens Carnival Poised for a World Record

Angel- Mr. Jo Nambiar, you have been actively involved with a major youth festival called the Bala Mela at Bangalore. What purpose does a Bala Mela serve?

Nambiar – I want you to be categorical with the nomenclature. It is not a youth festival as much as it is a children’s carnival. An underprivileged child’s carnival to be more specific. As to its purpose, well every society endeavors to provide its populace with the primary requirements of food, clothing and shelter. But look closely at a child’s environment, and you will realize that a child’s basic need, apart from food, clothing and shelter are also security, love, health and education. The focus of many NGOs of Karnataka and for that matter of even the rest of the country has been to provide substantial support and funds to these six areas, - that is, food and nutrition, clothing, shelter, love and security, health, and education. NGOs and many charitable organizations have been doing exemplary work for many years in these areas whereas successive governments have routinely failed. Many NGOs – in fact over a hundred that we are directly associated with, have been doing this for the children successfully for many years. The Bala Mela committee decided to look a little beyond this. Father Anthony Sebastian, heading an organization called ECHO asked the following questions some years ago :- Has an underprivileged child the means to celebrate his or her birthday once a year? Does a child languishing in a slum even know the date when he or she was born? Does a street child ever get a chance to frolic and enjoy the regular festivals that the better placed children of our society enjoy? Be it Christmas, New Year, Holi, Ugadi. Easter, Pongal, Deepavali, Id-ul-Fitr or any of the innumerable festivals that mark the calendar every month of the year? Apart from all this, is there a forum where a child from the street, slum or orphanage can speak out and voice his or her problems and concerns? Are these children not our tomorrow’s citizens? If their voices are not heard today, are we not to blame for allowing frustration, crime and terrorism from taking over our society tomorrow? It was from these pertinent and in-your-face questions that Bala Mela was born in 2002, and it has been held every year since. It is intended to be a day when underprivileged children would gather in one venue and have the fun, sharing the food and the festivities that they miss otherwise in their lives. It is a platform for them to share their views, meet others like them, voice their concerns and showcase their talents. It is a place where they enjoy themselves to their hearts content as much as a place where their personal horror stories are exchanged. And why not? The truth is laid bare before all to see and take notice. The society, the media and the government.

Angel – And what has been society’s response to all your efforts? Has any difference been made to the lives of these underprivileged children by a one day program?

Nambiar - We the organizers, on our part spared no effort to put the amenities together. With over eight hundred volunteers in place, scores of buses transport the children to the venue early in the morning. A child’s day at the Bala Mela venue involves a nutritious breakfast, a medical check-up, games, lunch, stage-performances, competitions and a meeting with the press. For these children, it is like the Olympics, the Oscars and the Brazilian Carnival all rolled into one day on the venue.

Angel – But to what end or purpose?

Nambiar – Take the stage performance for example. Many have climbed on to a stage before a live audience for the first time. Many have held a microphone for the first time in their lives. Think of the exposure, the recognition, the praise and the applause they get. For at least one day in the year they can forget their pain, their frustrations, their hunger and their problems. That in itself is a reward for us and worth all the effort we make. Prizes and awards are bestowed on them. Many lives are uplifted by a simple pat on the shoulder. The child from the street or slum sees hope. They make an effort to perform better. They take pride in their talents and accomplishments. To the Bala Mela they feel a sense of belonging. They see a purpose in life. For example, a good singer or a performer suddenly sees a choice he can make - from a life of misery and crime - to another that promises a more fruitful possibility, which he might have never known had it not been for the thundering applause he received at the Bala Mela! I know this is all hypothetical. But even if the entire effort caused one child to be saved, is it not worth it?

Angel – But who really is listening to a street or slum child’s problem today except the NGOs and the media? How is the child’s message going to be heard in the corridors of power and cause enough anguish or pressure to galvanize our government to do something about their plight?

Nambiar – I’m sorry I beg to differ as far as your views about the media are concerned. On 23rd November, 2008 at the Bala Mela venue, a press-meet was organized so that the children could interact with the press. We sent out more than twenty invitations to leading newspapers and TV channels. Only four newspaper reporters even bothered to come to the press-brief the day preceding the event. And on the day of the event, to the disappointment of the children, the reporters were more keener on interviewing our chief guests Mr. Shivraj Kumar the actor and Mr. Oscar Fernandez the union minister. The children had a lot to say but the media was not listening. The only photographs in the newspapers the following day was of Mr. Shivraj Kumar and Mr. Oscar Fernandez. In fact Mr. Rahul Gandhi also intended to grace the occasion but couldn’t make it due to some engagement. He sent a nice message, however. I wonder what the media would bother to report about the Bala Mela or the children had Mr. Gandhi also come to the venue. We had over ten thousand children at the Bala Mela, and they had chosen a group of very articulate children to represent them at the press-meet. How does one expect the voices of these children to reach the corridors of power if you do not high-light or report it? The onus lies with the media as well. If a couple of newspapers and TV channels made sufficient noise you can enact a new bill in parliament. That is the clout the media commands. Tell me, how can we get the media to do their bit for the children?

Angel – Mr. Nambiar, we have also heard of your claim that the Bala Mela has set a world record. How do you substantiate this?

Nambiar – We cannot. It is the Guinness Book of World Records who have to do this. Our claim is that this is the largest gathering of underprivileged children in the world in a single venue. We hope to invite the Guinness Book judges to the event this year to substantiate this claim.