RELIEVING PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED CHILDREN, DHFL SCAM VICTIMS: A LETTER FROM SOUTH POINT, HOWRAH

The Hon’ble President,

Republic of India,

Rashtrapati Bhavan,

New Delhi- 110004

Sub: Relieving physically challenged children, DHFL scam victims

त्रयाः प्राजापत्याः प्रजापतौ पितरि ब्रह्मचर्यमूषुः—देवा मनुष्या असुराः; उषित्वा ब्रह्मचर्यं देवा ऊचुः, ब्रवीतु नो भवानिति; तेभ्यो हैतदक्शरमुवाच द इति; व्यज्ञासिष्टा3 इति; व्यज्ञासिष्मेति होचुः, दाम्यतेति न आत्थेति; ओमिति होवाच, व्यज्ञासिष्टेति ॥ १ ॥

अथ हैनं मनुष्या ऊचुः, ब्रवीतु नो भवानिति; तेभ्यो हैतदेवाक्शरमुवाच द इति; व्यज्ञासिष्टा3 इति; व्यज्ञासिष्मेति होचुः, दत्तेति न आत्थेति; ओमिति होवाच, व्यज्ञासिष्टेति ॥ ३ ॥

अथ हैनमसुरा ऊचुः, ब्रवीतु नो भवानिति; तेभ्यो हैतदेवाक्शरमुवाच द इति; व्यज्ञासिष्टा3 इति; व्यज्ञासिष्मेति होचुः, दयध्वमिति न आत्थेति; ओमिति होवाच, व्यज्ञासिष्टेति; तदेतदेवैषा दैवी वागनुवदति स्तनयित्नुर् द द द इति—दाम्यत दत्त दयध्वमिति; तदेतत्त्रयं शिक्शेत्—दमं दानं दयामिति ॥ ३ ॥

–The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad

Three classes of Prajāpati’s sons lived a life of continence with their father, Prajāpati —the gods, men and Asuras.

The gods, on the completion of their term, said, ‘Please instruct us.’ He told them the syllable ‘Da’ (and asked), ‘Have you understood?’ (They) said, ‘We have. You tell us: Control yourselves.’ (He) said, ‘Yes, you have understood.’

Then the men said to him, ‘Please instruct us.’ He told them the same syllable ‘Da’ (and asked), ‘Have you understood?’ (They) said, ‘We have. You tell us: Give.’ (He) said, ‘Yes, you have understood.’

Then the Asuras said to him, ‘Please instruct us.’ He told them the same syllable ‘Da’ (and asked), ‘Have you understood?’ (They) said, ‘We have. You tell us: ‘Have compassion.’ (He) said, ‘Yes, you have understood.’

That very thing is repeated by the heavenly voice, the cloud, as ‘Da,’ ‘Da,’ ‘Da’: ‘Control yourselves,’ ‘Give,’ and ‘Have compassion.’ Therefore one should learn these three—self-control, charity and compassion.

“Ganga was sunken, and the limp leaves

Waited for rain, while the black clouds

Gathered far distant, over Himavant.

The jungle crouched, humped in silence.

Then spoke the thunder

Datta: what have we given?

My friend, blood shaking my heart

The awful daring of a moment’s surrender

Which an age of prudence can never retract

By this, and this only, we have existed

Which is not to be found in our obituaries

Or in memories draped by the beneficent spider

Or under seals broken by the lean solicitor

In our empty rooms

Dayadhvam: I have heard the key

Turn in the door once and turn once only

We think of the key, each in his prison

Thinking of the key, each confirms a prison

Only at nightfall, aethereal rumours

Revive for a moment a broken Coriolanus

Damyata: The boat responded

Gaily, to the hand expert with sail and oar

The sea was calm, your heart would have responded

Gaily, when invited, beating obedient

To controlling hands”

—The Waste Land, The Catholic Poet T.S. Eliot

Respected Sir,

Hope you and your family members are safe and healthy.

I, on behalf of Howrah South Point (HSP), an organization for physically challenged children, am writing this letter to you out of our utter despair, agony, anguish, and anxiety regarding our FD monies stuck at the DHFL. HSP was founded in 1976 by Late father Francis Laborde.

During our forty years’ journey, we have three main programmes:

1. Homes for physically challenged and deprived children;

2. Schools for the destitute, including special and non-formal schools;

3. Health programmes to reach out those who cannot access to any formal structure, i.e. victims of social exclusion.

There are nine homes, with more than 500 children; 11 schools with more than 2000 school children; a healthcare center and three mobile dispensaries reaching out more than 45000 deprived people are at the heart of the work of the 320 dedicated staff of HSP.

However, we ourselves are handicapped by the catastrophic situation of the DHFL as our money (which is an astronomical figure from our perspective) is stuck and it is difficult for us to execute our programmes for those physically challenged children. Everything is jeopardized.

However, we are hopeful enough by remembering a divine narrative from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and Sur Sagar (The Collection Of Songs by visually challenged vaisnava saint Surdas).

Though you know the event, we are re-narrating it for your kind attention:

The Bhagavata Purana depicts that after meeting his poor friend Sudama, Krishna and his elder brother Balarama walked through the streets of Mathura and encountered Kubja (alias Trivakra, one who is bent in three places), a young physically challenged hunchback maidservant of the king Kamsa. She carried a plate of ointment (pharmakon) with her. Krishna asks for ointment in return for a boon. She grants him the ointment that she was taking for the king. Pleased, Krishna presses his toes on her feet and placed a finger of both his hands under her chin and raises the fingers, which straightened her body.

In the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Kubja is the reincarnation of Shurpanakha, a demoness who vied for Rama, Krishna’s previous birth on earth. Surpanaka’s penance is rewarded in her birth as Kubja, when her desire to unite with Rama is fulfilled.

We, on behalf of all the FD holders of DHFL, are earnestly requesting you to kindly straighten our suffering and physically challenged corporeal following the paths of aforementioned avatars so that you can also easily enter into the “eye of a needle“, the kingdom of the God.

I am concluding my appeal by reiterating an oft quoted sloka:

मूकं करोति वाचालं पङ्गुं लङ्घयते गिरिं ।
यत्कृपा तमहं वन्दे परमानन्द माधवम् ॥

I am remembering with Devotion the Divine Grace of Krishna, who can make the dumb speak with eloquence and the lame cross high Mountains.

Kindly note that in the context of pluralistic Indian syncretic culture(s), Bhagavan Krishna and Lord Christ are equated in different lyrical and dramatic compositions.

We wish you and your family members a prosperous future in the days to come.

Yours Sincerely,

For HOWRAH SOUTH POINT

sd/-

( AGNES BAROI )

SECRETARY

ON BEHALF OF ALL DHFL FD HOLDERS [USUAL DISCLAIMERS APPLY]

COPY TO:
1. The Honourable Prime Minister, Government of India
2. The Honourable Finance Minister, Government of India
3. The Honourable Governor, Reserve Bank of India, Government of India
4. The Honourable Administrator, Reserve Bank of India, DHFL, Government of India
5. The Honourable Authorised Representative acting on behalf of the Public Depositors, DHFL, Government of India