A Right to Enjoy

A majority of us seem to believe that the economically disadvantaged need to be helped with food, clothes, money, medicines, education and so on. These according to us are the basics of every human and need to be met before other wants like recreation can be met. But we forget that the disadvantaged are like us and would like to experience the state of happiness we undergo when we indulge in a preferred activity but we, with good intentions, unknowingly deny them that state of pleasure and enjoyment because we believe that for them it is a luxury and when basics are missing, why should luxury be given is our reasoning.. Why should it be so? Why cannot those who do not have enough for 3 meals a day, for those who do not know where their next meal will come from and if at all it will come, also not experience joy in doing something as simple as walking on the beach, taking a bus ride, dancing to live music or watching a movie?

This was the thought that crossed the minds of some youth in Patiala and they decided that as a part of JGW 09, they would treat some economically disadvantaged children to a movie. That is just what they did and some 25 children went to watch Salman Khan’s movie ‘Wanted’ at Tagore theatre in Patiala. To those who organized the treat, the reward was the happy faces of the children as they watched a movie with popcorn and other eats thrown in. It must not have been easy for these youngsters, convincing parents to part with heir children, especially in the case of girls but their perseverance paid off and 25 happy children watched with delight as Salman Khan pranced about on screen. “They also have a right to enjoy”, was the inspiration for this treat and we must do all we can to ensure this, is the message for us.