The Hindu Business Line : Gifts for Diwali: This Pune school shows the way

"Festivals are occasions for sharing love and concern more than anything else and this activity on the part of the children goes in that direction."

Pune , Oct. 16

At a time when most kids are out shopping with their parents for the latest toy, gizmo or clothes to hit retail shelves, students belonging to a Pune school have set a shining example of how a little restraint and concern for the lesser privileged in society, can go a long way in making the latter's lives more cheerful during festive times.

While Diwali is the time for fresh beginnings, the NCL Secondary school and senior college says that old and new are relative terms and in reality, what has become `old' for someone may actually be a new start for someone else! It is with this understanding that the children of the NCL Secondary School and Junior College, Pune have all agreed to offer a pair of clothes that they are no longer using as Diwali gifts to the children of construction workers at Aundh, Bavdhan and Kothrud.What inspired this activity?

Ms Alka Padhye, principal of the school who is also a keen environmentalist, introduced the idea to the children. She invited them to choose one pair of clothes that were still in good condition but were not being used anymore because of change of size or fashion, and offer them to children who really needed these clothes.

Diwali gift

With the children readily agreeing to the idea, a collection of approximately 500 pairs of clothes was made, washed, ironed and neatly gift-wrapped and distributed by the children, who accompanied by their teachers and parents, went around construction sites making these offerings.

"Festivals are occasions for sharing love and concern more than anything else and this activity on the part of the children goes in that direction. These days, however, most Indian festivals have been usurped by market forces to encourage unnecessary consumerism. Advertisements and hoardings scream out asking people to buy and buy more. Discounts and sales tempt people to buy on occasions like Diwali without actually thinking about whether these items are needed,'' says Ms Padhye.

The Safe Festivals campaign run by the Kalpavriksh Environment Action Group, is encouraging people to celebrate a different Diwali this year. They have sent out the message that while doing the traditional cleaning before Diwali, if people find items that are in good condition and have not been used for a long time, to give these away to those who can use them.

This conscious recycling is part of the principles of reduce, recycle, reuse that will ensure that our environment is protected by reducing the amount of garbage we are creating. "Finally," says Ms Padhye, "we need to add two more principles to our list - rethink our choices and refuse unnecessary consumption."

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