India’s independence story has a few not so nice parts. The partition of the sub-continent into India and Pakistan in 1947 is one such part. The whole of the province of Sindh went to Pakistan and the Hindu Sindhi people found themselves on the wrong side of the border.
So they left, or should I say fled. They fled by boat, by train, on foot. My family was one of them. Some, like my family, had resources to start life anew. Most didn’t. They became refugees in their own country. These refugees that reached Bombay (as Mumbai was known in those days) stayed in refugee camps set up for them by the government in Kalyan and Ulhasnagar.
Fast forward to the present, 70 years later. Hardly any change in these people’s situation. Destitute then, destitute now.
I came to know of these ‘forgotten’ refugees from a philanthropic lady called Neha Melwani in Mumbai. She has been carrying on the tradition started by her grandparents of helping them, by visiting these ladies once a week to give them a square meal, a few household and ration necessities, sponsor a few children for education, and others for medical needs, as well as donate much needed clothes. She invited me to accompany her on one such trip.
I wondered if I could give these ladies Reiki? So on Tuesday 6th February, I went with Neha and her parents and aunt for a 3 hour drive to Ulhasnagar. There, outside a small room were about 15 ladies waiting patiently on some shabby chairs. Neha told them that I would ‘take your pains away’! And that I had come from far, from Africa …
And with that introduction, I set up shop! One by one, they sat on the chair and I addressed the parts that were paining or not well. The place was actually a part of the verandah, with the street just behind us with and the usual street noises and people talking in the background! As I proceeded with giving them healing, they warmed up to me more and more. It helped that I am a Sindhi and speak the language.
These elderly ladies were all aged over 60 years. The oldest was 98 years old! All had sad tales to tell …… some were widows, some never married, the sons and daughter in laws of some had passed on, leaving them with the grandchildren, another’s son had ‘disappeared’, daughter in law was very ill …. And so on and on it went ….
My heart went out to them. Poor before partition. Poor during partition. Poor seventy years later. In need of material sustenance. In need of emotional help. And in need of mending their broken spirits.
They loved the healing session, many of them reporting the disappearance of their aches and pains, feeling calmer, and it showed on their faces! They even smiled more and many blessed me!
It is my hope that the Reiki they received on that day helped to alleviate their suffering … even if for a short while.
I was joined in this seva by Kulmeet Kaur, our LHSG Mumbai member. She and I also went to one of the volunteer, Mr. Makhija’s house to give Reiki to his wife who suffers from a chronic problem.
As always, I give my thanks to Reiki and the Universe for making me a channel of Love and Light.
Please watch the slide show and the video.
Thank you for your continued interest in our activities. My apologies to those who do not understand Sindhi.
Kamal Tolia
LHSG Founder Member
Slide Show
Video