The Hindu : New Delhi News : Overcoming blast trauma through paintings, poetry

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 13, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Overcoming blast trauma through paintings, poetry

Prashant Pandey

NGO project involved children of 23 schools, out of which 10 were around blast site

NEW DELHI: Just when the Delhi police was on Friday announcing the arrest of two militants who had allegedly come to trigger blasts in market places, Diksha Poddar -- who along with her father had been flung several feet into the air and landed on the ground with multiple fractures in the Sarojini Nagar market blast on October 29 last year -- was relating her story of quiet courage and resilience to a small audience at the India Habitat Centre (IHC) amphitheatre here.

Reading out a poem she had written, Diksha, a student of Class VII of Sarojini School No. 1, conceded that she still feels the shudders once in a while and was worried about her future like any other child, but she had the courage to face those fears and had moved on in life. Diksha, and many like her, had scores of other school children empathising with their concerns and expressing solidarity through their paintings and poems put up in an exhibition at the IHC.

The works were selected during a two-month project carried out by Swanchetan Society for Mental Health aimed at bringing out the trauma children went through after the blasts. The students were asked to paint or write poetry during counselling sessions held in 23 schools of the Capital, 10 of which were around the blast site. The exhibition will be taken to other venues later.

Swanchetan's programme director, Rajat Mitra, said the project started on the premise that the children directly affected in the blasts were not the only ones facing the trauma. Those who saw it on television, read about it in the newspapers and discussed it among peers went through the agony of similar intensity.

Initially, parents and teachers were reluctant to let the counsellors put questions to children fearing that it would bring back the horrific memories. "But history shows that we never forget. We can only change the way we feel about bad things," said Dr. Mitra while addressing the gathering.

For children, it was not only an opportunity to vent their feelings but also make profound statements. A small poem scribbled on a painting by Tanya, a student of Delhi Public School, Noida, read: "The man/ the gun/ the bullet/ the aim he took/ the bullet that found its mark/ the blood/ my blood/ and the silence that followed/ why me?"

Kamish, a student of Delhi Police Public School, had painted a large white pigeon catching the `evil' snake in its claws. With the exercise bringing in new insights into the psyche of children, the principal of Delhi Police Public School, Ruchira Seth, said it was the responsibility of teachers to use art in order to help children deal with the trauma. "They are the most vulnerable group but if we can get them to talk, they can be treated."

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