Children's Day doesn't attract them, children of Jalpaiguri tea garden wait for the food van

A voluntary organisation distributes food to the children of a tea garden in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri four days a week. The children wait for the organisation to come with their van to distribute food. Also, clothes and other accessories are distributed from time to time.

Jalpaiguri (West Bengal): While Children's Day is celebrated in schools across the country, the day has no relevance for the children of West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district. The children from a tea plantation of the district don't know why the day is celebrated but their sole concern is when the van would come with some good food for them.

For the children of Denguajhar tea garden, today as one of the four days when food arrives for them. The Green Valley Welfare Organisation of Jalpaiguri distributes food to the children of this tea garden four days a week in the West Line school grounds of Denguajhar tea garden in Jalpaiguri Sadar Block. Some people feed these children through the Green Valley on special occasions like wedding anniversary, birthday or marriage.

At noon, members of Green Valley carried the food in a van to the tea plantation. As soon as the van arrives, children rush out with plates in their hands.

Today, even their parents are waiting with the children. Apart from food, clothes are distributed to the children during Durga Puja, said Prashant Sarkar, president of Jalpaiguri Green Valley Welfare Organisation.

Sumitra Hembram Pal, a member of Green Valley Welfare Organisation said, "We feed the underprivileged children of John Ahar's tea garden. Sometimes, people have special occasions and donates funds for feeding these children. We provide clothes during Puja while umbrellas, raincoats and mosquito nets are given in monsoons. There is no such thing as Children's Day. Every day is celebrated as Children's Day by us."

In the memory of her parents, Rachna Chowdhury took the responsibility of feeding the children of the tea garden one day. "My father and mother passed away a few years ago. So I arranged a meal for the children one day in their memory. If I had not come here then I would not have understood the joy of bringing food for the children. The smile I saw on their faces today is a great satisfaction for me," she said.

Residents of Denguajha tea garden, Basanti Onrao and Bhagwati Bhuiyanara said that rice, dal, fish and meat are all served here. "We also come and eat with our children. We cannot afford such food at home," residents said.