The documentary below: “Story From Afar – Calcutta, India” – produced by Hong Kong Asia Television Channel is worth viewing. The story was touching and many viewers shed a tear.
This is a 3-part series of a true story about the life-struggles of a maternal grandmother with her two grand-children living in Chattawala Gully in old Chinatown, Calcutta. When the series were first aired many years ago, it received overwhelming support and sympathy from viewers in Hong Kong – so much so that ATV and local newspapers were inundated with donations and support. A Trust Fund was then set-up with World Vision to take care of the grandmother and the two children’s livelihood and education.
Sadly, after a few years, when the TV crews return to Calcutta to visit the family, the grandmother had already passed away and cremated by the Missionaries of Charity.
On other “India” series, there were 5-6 different stories on Chinese in Calcutta and elsewhere in India. Will share out again when available.
“Story from Afar” is the pioneer of overseas Chinese stories about their sweet-sour-bitter settlement and livelihood around the globe. It had won many international awards. Since then, many other Chinese TV stations abroad have started to make similar documentaries.
These serials were also aired in North America before on Chinese Channels. Enjoy.
- Chen
by Kwai, on 08.03.09 @ 11:20 pm
Thanks for sharing this video, it will always be in my memory. Wanted to write lot more on this, in fact too much going through my head to write. Im settle down in Canada because of my elder brother left in the early days other wise my story would have been somewhat similar. Thanks again how often we forget our past and the people who is part of our society. Couldnt go back and make a difference.
by ycl1688, on 08.04.09 @ 12:32 am
Stifling poverty is what made India known all over the world.
On my occasion visits to Kolkata, I saw people digging along garbage pile to pick up food scrap.
This fact has been in my memory for a while, as told by my close relative it was in 70’s he happened to walk along Motisil Street walking towards Regal cinema one morning, he saw a beggar boy was using his bare hand digging up cat corpse along the garbage pile to eat the innards of the dead cat. He end up giving the kid some
money to buy food. It is stomach upsetting to hear this kind of fact, yet it is a reality.
by vivek, on 08.08.09 @ 8:16 pm
I have always pictured the chinese are rich and trendy in fashion and classy lifestyle, united rich food, rich culture. The above video has moved me somewhat even though i dont understand mandarine, wonder what happen to the parents of those kids and why have the community neglected the family.
In our community (Marwari)those who come from the village or home town we try to help by finding a suitable job or help him to setup some business to be able to support his family and support other like him, its like a chain reaction and every one can have a decent life.
by Dan, on 08.08.09 @ 10:55 pm
Hi Vivek,
You’ve so rightly pointed out the three key notes of this documentary even without understanding Chinese (Cantonese and not Mandarin or Putonghua to be specific) that serve as a wake-up call for Indian Chinese community.
- there are still “have nots” among the “haves”.
- just like plants need water, children need love to grow and parents should take responsibiity to nurture and bond.
- should learn lesson of good example from Marwari community of “clan-belonging” and to lend a helping hand where needed.
by ycl1688, on 08.09.09 @ 6:19 pm
Hi Vivek,
Your impression is different from what the video indicated, this is not a perfect world. Yes, today you go to Tangra, you will see impressive buildings mushrooming all over, the latest cars billboards displaying high end stuff. Your community did you good, my friend.
Not to take anything away from this video, this kind of stifling poverty and human tragedy is a vicious cycle. Many years ago in ‘have nots’ families boys with say class 6 education will go to work as cook trainee or waiters at Waldorf in park street, after few months Mumbai chinese restaurants would hire them with higher salary, then move on to Middle east where even higher salaries await them and moved on to Europe or North America. Girls would train at different salons in the Free school street area, then move on to Mumbai to get higher salaries in chinese run saloons. In a way
the owners of the establishment helped their own people.
Certain community leaders could have help their own kind, yet the fund poured in from Taiwan, would fall into wrong hands and making them even richer.
Chinese revolutionary leader Sun Yet Sun once said ‘Chinese is a box of loose sand’ hardly helping each other out. It has been this kind of world, what else is new. No one has done much yet. So the tragedies continue, it is a rather grim picture.