by Shivang Patel
As an American teenager of Indian descent and as the son of parents who immigrated to this country for the promise of a better life, I am fascinated by the surge in Indian culture brought about by the movie, “Slumdog Millionaire,” named best picture at the Academy Awards just a few weeks ago. While the film’s primary themes are love, loyalty, and the importance of holding fast to one’s dreams, it also captures the seedy underside of modern India, especially the desperate plight of the orphans. I have seen India’s poverty up close myself, during my own visits there with my family. I had always wanted to do something to help change the lives of those orphans and now that I have seen this movie, I have developed a clear course of action.##M:[more]##
My family has close connections with an organization called The Aware Foundation that is based in the United Kingdom, but largely does work with the children who live in India’s slums, just like those in the movie.
A few months before Slumdog Millionaire hit the movie theaters, I had talked with my father’s friend, who works closely with the foundation,about a project I could do to advance the foundation’s goal of using education to rehabilitate disadvantaged children. I know that I am truly lucky to go to school in the West Windsor-Plainsboro school district, one of the best not only in New Jersey, but in the country. I am also lucky to have been able to pursue my passion for robotics on a district team that has won the opportunity to compete in the world championships in Atlanta later this month.
I have received approval from the Aware Foundation to travel to India this summer to work with a small group of children who have limited access to education. Since I have had opportunities that they can only dream about, I feel it is my responsibility to share my expertise and open doors to help them learn. I think about what my life would be like had my parents not decided to move to America. Perhaps I could be leading a life similar to those of the slumdogs portrayed in the movie.
When I went to India two summers ago, I saw firsthand what their lives were like. Every time I got into the car, I would see kids and even adults in the streets begging for food. To my surprise, my Indian relatives seemed unaffected by this, but then I realized that to them, this was everyday life. I had never believed the horrible things I had heard about poverty in the land of my ancestors, but now, it had become vividly real and I was moved enough that I went outside almost every night to give food to the beggars living in the streets. I was impressed because in spite of their misery, they would look me straight in the eye and say thank you.
“Slumdog Millionaire” does a great job of showing the divide between the haves and have-nots. The film puts the viewer in the mind of Jamal Malik, the main character, who is played by Dev Patel, who coincidentally has the same last name I do. Patel, in some regions of India, is just as common a surname as Smith or Jones in the United States; still, it was yet another personal connection for me. His story allows viewers to witness the crime, dirt, and subjugation in a way that is so vivid, it feels as if they could actually be in India themselves.
The movie and its first-place finish at the Academy Awards has put India front and center in the American consciousness. I hope to seize upon the new interest in India to raise funds, and to do some work that will have a direct impact on some of the poorest children. I know that education has opened so many doors for me. I hope it will help do the same for them.
Editor’s note: Patel is a sophomore at High School North and co-captain of the robotics team.
