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
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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.
by Jackie, on 08.27.10 @ 3:01 am
Hi,
I remember watching that documentary in 1998 when I was just a child too. I remember crying the entire night.
I’m going to volunteer at a NGO in Kolkata called New Light in December. I would love to meet this brother and sister.
Anyone have any idea how I could contact them? From what I could tell from the follow-up documentary in 2004, the sister goes to a church with the words “Prince of Peace” written at the alter.
I know that since 6 years have past, there is little hope I’ll find them. But I think since I’m in Kolkata anyway, I will find out. If anyone has any ideas, even small ones, I would appreciate it.
Jackie.
by ycl1688, on 08.27.10 @ 7:55 pm
Jackie,
Thanks for your compassionate heart. The church is a sure catholic church with christ die on the cross sign. I can narrow this to Sacred Heart at Weston street, maybe others can correct me. Good luck finding them. If not you have done your part.
by Jackie, on 08.28.10 @ 4:10 am
ycl1688,
Using GoogleMaps and http://wikimapia.org/#lat=22.5647992&lon=88.3619642&z=15&l=0&m=b Sacred Heart looks to be on Lenin Sarani street, a few blocks away from Weston street. Is this the church you were referring to?
Sacred Heart could definitely be a possibility, it’s near Bow Bazaar which I understand is where old Chinatown is located.
Thanks for the help. Any sort of clue really helps as my volunteer duration is only 3 weeks. This story has been in my mind since 1998, more than half my life so far. My family is quite wealthy and the struggle of this brother and sister to just get water really affected me.
If I find them, I could easily give them $10,000 CDN without a problem. Even if they don’t want money, I could give them this video so they have a picture of their grandma and be able to hear her voice. It must be painful to not have a picture of their grandma.
by ycl1688, on 08.28.10 @ 6:21 pm
Jackie,
The church in Lenin Sarani has the same name as this Chinese one, this is what I am referring to
http://in.local.yahoo.com/kolkata/sacred-heart-church-school-5ef066a7559a892c1ead32228cdde245/
The one at the Lenin Sarani is definitely not the one.
if you find them, sure will spread a lot of Christmas spirit. Enjoy your stay in kolkata I am sure you will.
by Bill, on 08.30.10 @ 11:05 am
Hi Jackie,
Your compassion is commendable. However, there are many in this world that will not hesitate to exploit your virtues and harm you in the process. Do not ever broadcast that you are from a wealthy family to strangers when you are in Kolkata. At the very least, they may try to scam you for your money. At the worst, they can kidnap you for ransom. I’m not suggesting that Kolkata is a bad place. This applies to any place you may visit in the future, or even in your hometown.
As for finding the brother and sister in the video, you could try to contact the ATV station in Hong Kong through the Hong Kong Consulate in Canada. They may be able to give you some contact in Kolkata.
Good luck and hope your stay in Kolkata is a pleasant one.
by ycl1688, on 08.30.10 @ 7:38 pm
Bill,
Your suggestion is helpful. Definetely any cash show openly will attract lots of evil eyes. I am sure jackie will be going out with a group of people not alone. Chance of kidnapping is slim if you are out broad day light.
Never heard of Hong Kong consulate anywhere, in british time hk was under British HC, now it is Chinese Embassy or Consulate to conduct business.
Jackie,
You might want to contact the school where the brother is. Sounds like a boarding school. Where is that school ? Any guess ? anyone ?
by Jackie, on 08.31.10 @ 6:28 am
Bill,
Thank you for your concerns. I will be traveling to Kolkata alone and this search will be a solo side project but I have worked on development projects in Sri Lanka in the past. I do make security precautions especially with money.
I have contacted ATV with an email explaining the situation in English but I have not received a response. I’m not confident I will get a response since my email is in English and the documentary was so long ago.
The boarding school would definitely be a good place to search but unfortunately it is not identified in the documentary. If anyone has any ideas, it would be appreciated.
by David, on 08.31.10 @ 5:03 pm
Hi Jackie
You may contact World Vision – Kolkata to get in touch with these two kids in the video (probably now grown up young man and woman). Apparently, World Vision had a trust fund set-up for them out of donations received from Hong Kong people of about USD300k to be spent on their upkeep – like food, clothings, education, tuition, boarding fees, books $ stationery and other necessities. So, it is good to check out on them and not necessarily provide money assistance unless you really think worth the while. That’s entirely up to you.
I was in Kolkata early this year for a week. Early one morning, I took a purposedful trip from Tangra to Old Chinatown (Tireti Bazaar) to experience Breakfast in Chinatown. Upon arrival at the site (there are many pictures in the blog which as of now still remain the same), I instintively thought about these two kids. While I know that they used to live somewhere around this vicinity, I walked over to the side street and then on to a narrow street (Chattawala Gully) adjacent to the main street.
I still vividly remember the lane where they live so I stumbled into that lane and co-incidentally the kids’s mom who appeared in the video was just walking out for shopping. I greeted her and introduced myself and asked her about life and her children. She mentioned that her daughter had moved out to live in a hostel and the younger son is still studying in boarding school where the family would visit him during weekends or holidays. She seemed reluctant to provide me their addresses so I did not ask further; she agreed to allow me to take a picture of her and then I left.
So, the family still live in that little dark house in that lane – Chattawala Gully. You may also check on it if you so wish.
Good luck in your hunt and hope you have a wonderful experience while in Kolkata. While you have a great humanity project on hand, I pray that you will be blessed for stretching out hands to help others in need.
Cheers
by ycl1688, on 08.31.10 @ 8:55 pm
David,
thanks for your response and sharp memories. I would not blame the beneficiary to
be on the defense. with about USD300k under their belt, I believe they are well off. Anyways with the latest statistic shows world’s 60 percent of poor coming from India, there will be others who need the help too.
by ycl1688, on 08.31.10 @ 9:28 pm
Jackie,
Please do not give up hope, seems to me the boarding school is a public school somehow someone should be able to recognize it. That should keep you busy. Anyways
it is generous people like you that makes the world a better place to live.
by Jackie, on 09.01.10 @ 2:56 am
David,
I’m astonished you found their home so easily. I really thought without an address and given the years since, it would be difficult. How big is old Chinatown?
If I can find these brother and sister for myself, I would still like to give them a photo of their grandma. But I’m glad to hear their financial future is secure, that’s probably some of the best news possible. With $300,000 USD, they can even afford higher education if they wanted. But then I wonder why the sister needed to go to a hostel and the brother to a boarding school if they can afford to live together at home. Or why the family still looked so impoverished.
by David, on 09.02.10 @ 10:04 am
Jackie
It was coincidence & luck that I got to bump into the kids’ mother in lane right in front of their house as she prepared stepping out to her morning shopping. Honestly, I was quite taken aback and excited too when her image appeared before my eyes – just like the one I’d seen many years ago on TV. She actually invited me to her house for tea which I hesitated. In Old Chinatown, one needs not have an address to locate people. The neighbourhood is very small and Indian neighbours are friendly to help you out.
Since you inquired, it’s best to let you know the size of Kolkata (in terms of area) rather than its Old Chinatown. Kolkata is of the same size of Dallas Airport in the U.S. but the population is many folds of what it can accommodate. Once you are out in the streets, you’ll find people everywhere; you need to negotiate, weave & wrestle your way out in crowds.
Your many questions on the family current status and development will be answered in following links of the follow-up visit to Kolkata (Part II series) taken by the same TV crews – which you do not ssem to have watched or may have forgotten after viewing it many years ago.
1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R46IUqNID_O
2) htto://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciNICaiXrw&feature=related
3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bccAMbxEYk&feature=related