The heartwarming story of Karma Bhutia

Part 2

By Prakash Subbarao (Prakash@3xus.com)

The day for Karma to leave for Kalimpong had come. Though it was a momentous journey, the little boy felt numb at heart. He sorely missed his mother. “If she were alive, I wouldn’t have to go away” he reasoned. There was nothing to hold him back now in Sikkim. Nothing except his sweet sister. Whom he loved dearly. “I will come back for her later, when I am settled” he promised himself.

On the appointed day of his departure his father was nowhere to be seen. “Probably lying drunk in some ditch” the little boy thought to himself, contemptuously. His thoughts turned to his sister. “How will she manage?” he asked himself repeatedly.

Fifteen minutes before the departure of his bus, his sister started weeping copiously. “Karma, don’t go! Don’t leave me alone! Karma! I am frightened” his sister screamed repeatedly. The little boy hugged her and wept. “I will come back for you” he told her, stroking her hair, kissing her cheek. “Till then, don’t talk to father. Just do as you are told and he won’t hit you. I will come back for you as soon as I can and will take you away”. Soon it was time to leave. Karma bent and touched his teacher’s feet reverentially. “Bless me, Sir” he requested his teacher. “And please take care of my sister”. “Don’t worry, Karma. I will meet her everyday and she can come and have dinner at our house. I have spoken to my wife regarding this and it has been agreed. So go in peace, my son!”

The bus horn hooted several times, indicating that the time to leave had come. Karma’s eyes were filled with tears. Blindly he turned and waved his sister, his teacher and the few other townsfolk who had come to see him off.

Karma was travelling alone. This was a direct bus to Kalimpong and the school authorities would receive him at the other end. He had with him a small bag with only a very few of his personal possessions. He would get his uniform and anything else that he needed at the school.

Dr Graham's Homes in Kalimpong, West Bengal, are situated in the Himalayan foothills of north-east India. They were founded by The Rev John Anderson Graham, a Church of Scotland Missionary, on 24th September 1900 out of compassion and concern for the often neglected Anglo-Indian children of the Tea Gardens in the Darjeeling District. They were first known as the St Andrew’s Colonial Homes but after his death renamed Dr Graham’s Homes.

In a rented cottage in Kalimpong six children were taken into care, and were looked after by a British housemother and a teacher. Dr Graham aimed to give each child health, education, training and self-respect based on the Christian principle of love and security.

In the years that followed, the Homes dominated his life and that of his wife, Katherine.

The children of the Tea Gardens were augmented by children of mixed parentage of the Army, Railways, Civil Service and Industry. The first Cottages were built on a barren hillside about a mile from Kalimpong and as the numbers of children increased so too did the cottages. All the cottages were donated by benefactors, as one was declared open; foundations of the next were laid.

Dr Graham's Homes has long since been established as a haven for thousands of children most in need and has remained true to its heritage to provide the highest standards of education within a context of established pastoral care, in preparation for the challenges of adult life. Committees in Calcutta, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and, most recently, Japan, endeavour to give financial aid to support the Homes to enable Dr Graham's vision to continue into the next millennium. It is a tribute to the work of Dr Graham that the Homes today remain an educational pillar of strength in the Kalimpong district and beyond, bearing a name honoured still in our generation and hopefully in generations to come.

However, the little was aware of none of this as he stared unseeing and unmindful of the spectacular scenery unfolding in front of him. Although the awe-inspiring beauty of the Himalayan peaks lay in front of him, in his mind’s eye he saw his mother sitting at their old house, in front of a fire, darning his clothes; he saw her walking to the kitchen and he felt her mussing his hair. Suddenly he saw his mother extremely clearly. She was standing right in front of him. Her eyes were very soft, very gentle. She cupped his face with her palms and said to him “Karma, listen! I had to go away but I am now back and will live in your heart. I will take care of you all your life. Don’t worry. Whenever you are sad I will come and comfort you. Be brave, my little son!”

The little boy nodded, grateful for her presence. He suddenly felt at peace with himself. It was then that the excitement of going to a lovely school in a strange land hit him. His heart started thudding and he just couldn’t wait to be in Kalimpong.

He dozed fitfully that night. The next day, as day broke, they reached Kalimpong.

Though it was very early, and the sun was just rising, low on the horizon, several teachers stood at the bus stand with a placard reading:

DR. GRAHAM’S HOMES

Karma’s heart started thumping wildly. He instinctively knew that a new chapter in his life had begun.

He walked up to the nearest teacher and said solemnly to her “Ma’am, my name is Karma Bhutia. I have admission to your school”.

The teacher looked down at the little boy, standing all alone, defenceless. He looked strangely vulnerable. Impulsively she bent down and hugged him tight to her. “Welcome to Kalimpong, Karma” she said.

The warmth of her hug pleased Karma. He felt happy. He was soon at the school. He hadn’t realised it but he was ravenously hungry. On a large table in the dining hall he saw piles of food. He had never seen so much food in his life! Running to the table he soon heaped his plate high with eggs and toast and bacon and ate the first satisfying meal in years.

…………………………to be continued…………