Life is a Struggle - but TV is a must!

I yesterday started writing down the experiences that Purnendu and Ramona have when visiting the school children’s homes. It is nothing about particularly one child but rather observations in several homes. Things that startle us because they are common in all these houses. For example the omnipresent television set.

Yes, nearly every single home that we have visited, of children who already study in our school and those who are newly admitting their children, has a TV. I have to put a ‘nearly’ there, because one home did not but you can see clearly that this is an exception!

These people have nothing. They live in homes that only exist of bricks without plaster and one tin shade as a roof. There are days when they don’t know what to eat. But they have a TV. They tie plastic sheets on top of their homes when it rains, so that the water doesn’t drip in. But on top of all, there is the satellite dish so that they can receive a good signal.

They even don’t have electricity for the complete day! In some parts of Vrindavan, throughout the day, electricity comes and goes. They won’t have a refrigerator to keep their food longer or the milk cold. They won’t buy a cooler with which they could get some cool air into their home when the temperatures reach 48 degree Celsius in summer. We have even seen that after buying the TV, they somehow arrange a battery to have electricity backup. For what? To watch TV when there is not electricity.

It is a pity. A shame that this is seen as a necessary item for entertainment even by poor people. What will be the effect of putting this box into every home? It will replace the natural social behavior of people who were previously sitting outside together, sharing, talking, enjoying and thus not only raising their level of happiness but also helping each other emotionally! Instead, people are now sitting in their homes, staring at a screen.

I also know what kind of things they tend to watch and let me tell you, it is not Discovery Channel and not current news! Poorly made soap operas that increase prejudice and drama, that make people enjoy intrigues and in the end increases a certain resignation about their personal situation. Additionally, there is a whole lot of violence in those shows and movies. For the innocent minds of children, this is a terrible influence! We try to save the children who are living with us at the Ashram from this effect. In the poor homes of our school children however, it is normal.

Unfortunately, this is something you won’t be able to change. A development that has already happened. We can just hope that the broadcasting channels gain some sense and try educating people rather than dumbly wasting their time.