First, of course, was the headline in the newspaper, that said that twelve people in the Beggars’ Colony had died, presumably after eating contaminated food. 

Click here for the news.

I did not even know that such a place exists in Bangalore, and the descriptions of the living conditions there were appalling.  

The second news item was about the Karnataka Dwarf Welfare Association.

Click here to see the report.

I didn’t  know, either, that such an organization exists, and I was glad to see that these people, who (I think) are normal in every way except for their lack of height, have banded together to resist the discrimination they must often face. "What else can they do but join the circus?" was one unfeeling comment I heard from my neighbour some time ago, when we were discussing how the Tamizh movie actors Bhagyaraj and Kamalahasan had given roles to dwarves in their movies.

I often find that we "normal" people live in the same city as those with problems not of their own making…but for all the contact we have with them, we might as well be living on different planets.

I want to write about the difficulties that people of short stature face in their daily lives, and have emailed the newspaper about where to contact the association. But if Ido not get a reply, how do I go about contacting the association? I have no clue….and the impulse will slowly go away from my mind, and I will go on leading my "normal" life, unheeding of the tough lives such people face. ⊕