Back on the Streets

Only a few months have passed since "Slumdog Millionaire" won many accolades at the Oscars to cap off a year which had seen it sweep many of the awards ceremonies around the world. Of particular note in all that hubbub was the furor surrounding the kids of "Slumdog Millionaire" who were rightfully feted around the world. They were flown to the United States especially for the Oscars and in the days and months since they have been celebrated at awards functions in India as well hobnobbing with celebrities that a few years ago would probably have ignored them on the streets. There are rumors that Hollywood celeb Angelina Jolie wanted to adopt one or all of them and that Rubina Ali's father wanted to actually sell her to a sheikh in the Middle East. "300" star Gerard Butler stopped in to take the kids out for lunch while visiting India and even popular model/stars like Priyanka Chopra has been wining (okay maybe soda-ing is a better description) and dining the kids all around town. So then why are they back on the streets?

Early yesterday (India time) the police in cooperation with the Muncipalty Corporation of India ordered the slums in which Azharuddin Ismail M. Shaikh (the young boy who played the lead role in "Slumdog Millionaire") to be razed as the housing was illegal. Now there are some things to bear in mind when reading this (and feeling outrage) and that is that when we say shanty I'm not talking about a few lean-to's or corrugated tin houses in an alley, I'm talking about a sizeable community in which many live and work. Now the general reaction in India to the depiction of the slums has been one of anger over the feeling that the West views India as nothing more than a collection of slums and a third world nation. I push back on that sentiment by saying if that was what the West really thought about India then why would there be so much outsourcing of work going to India? Why would the Obama administration be looking to revoke tax law that benefits companies sending work to companies overseas?

Certainly it's a shame that these slums were razed but having been to Indian many times I'm familiar with the area that was destroyed in this particular case and I can tell you that it has been destroyed numerous times in the past and it keeps coming back up. Now there are many people who state the the filmmakers of "Slumdog Millionaire" need to 'do more' for the child stars who have been exploited. Forget the fact that their tuition has been paid many years in advance by the producers (and the kids are already passing their exams and moving farther along in their education) but also they have set up trusts and funds to help them along in their lives. Critics argue that it is nothing more than going through the motions to gain public sympathy and get recognition for the movie but more than that, it is an effort to help the children get out of their impoverished circumstances. But how far can they go?

The unfortunate twist to me seems to stem from the fact that these child stars have been given varying types of 'legs up' but that the circumstances in which they are living makes it very hard for them to take that final boost and get on with a better life. Sure they may have been given money and sure they may have been authorized housing by the Muncipalty Corporation of India but if there's no housing to be had (or at least no affordable housing to be had) then how are they going to be able to afford homes? Getting a home in Mumbai is hard enough for people in the middle class. For the poor and impoverished it is next to impossible. As much as the parents of these child stars may want to take advantage of the good fortune fate has smiled upon them, it's easier said than done.

Azharuddin's mother lamented the fact that their homes have been raised nearly 10 to 15 times a year and although they are 'granted' alternate housing it is often so far from their jobs that it makes it impractical to live and work where they are placed so then only other alternative is to live in shanties. It's unforunate that this is more or less 'business as usual' for many of these families and some of the attention on this particular instance of the razing of shanties is only because of the fact that some of these children gained some recognition due to the film. To blame the West and say that more needs to be done rather than exploiting them but there needs to be some support (and even more important... action) from those in the Indian government and housing authorities to be more practical. Perhaps this is a first step in bringing more attention to this plight and eventually effecting change for the better.