Light Up Lives, The Dube Way

How did you spend your Diwali? Let me guess:

• Sent and responded to wishes from near and dear ones and others who texted or called you
• Decorated your home and participated in puja with your family
• Shared gifts with near and dear ones, including staff on your payroll

This is what most of us did, right? Nothing wrong with it. Can we do better? Take Priyanka & Amit Dube, for example.

Priyanka and her brother Amit distributed sweets to kids who live in temporary settlements near their home. These are children of workers who sell earthen lamps during Diwali and pots, ceramics, and planters all year round.  Not just kids, Priyanka and her brother share goodies with those (who they spot) working on Diwali and therefore miss out on the festivities and fun. For instance, cops, guards, and others involved in security and essential services. Even roadside hawkers. And, those who don’t buy for themselves because they view it as an unnecessary expense which can be used to buy for others they care for.

The Diwali ritual for the Dube siblings over the last seven years involves driving around Gurgaon for a few hours offering sweets till their stocks run out. “Their faces light up while receiving ladoos, especially the kids, year after year,” Priyanka tells me.

This is not a one-off incident arising out of a spirit of let’s-do-good- today. Priyanka & Amit visit the temporary dwellings near their home once a quarter to supply essential groceries, medicines, slippers etc to the underprivileged near their home who can’t afford the bare necessities of life.  They are no strangers to the kids. In 2015, Priyanka began to teach them after enticing them with goodies. A few months later, Priyanka’s new-found students came to her home to study as the environment was more congenial than the noisy pavements.

The kids became so comfortable with Priyanka that they would tell her if they needed anything. Priyanka bought glasses for one student who had difficulty reading. The recipients of Priyanka’s affection are not just the underprivileged sections of society. She reaches out equally to those who have lost their near and dear ones. The family of V Sudesh, a former colleague – lost during the Delta wave – was pleasantly surprised to find Priyanka visiting them six months after their guardian angel had passed away last year. She didn’t know his family. Yet, Priyanka chose to be with them, knowing how tough it would be for them to celebrate the occasion without the man who they missed deeply.

Sudesh, the quintessential family man liked to celebrate his favourite festival Diwali with his wife and children. The family would have struggled to cope on that day. Priyanka’s presence helped. She made it a point to go back this year during Diwali, this time with her brother Amit.  Sudesh was a dear colleague to hundreds of us. We all love and miss him. But it was Priyanka who ensured she spent the festival with his family for two years in his absence. Such is Priyanka.

Priyanka and Amit are not social workers. They are leaders in multinational corporations who make time outside their work hours to do what they care about. And they find instant gratification when they see their actions bringing a smile to the faces of the recipients.

How do you celebrate a festival?

While it is important to spend it with near and dear ones, spare a thought for those who are not so privileged. Or who have been disadvantaged due to a cruel act of destiny?  Can you make the life of one such person better, if not a group of people? Or bring a smile to their lips?

Priyanka believes you can. “It doesn’t take too much to make a difference, she says. All you need is the willingness to do something and the commitment to carry it through. For me, it is witnessing those weary, frown-ridden faces turning into broad smiles upon receiving something unexpected. That moment is uniquely rewarding, and I’ve rather selfishly continued to ensure that energy boost in my life, consistently.”

Amit cannot agree more with Priyanka. In his own words, “What started almost seven years ago has now become a Dube sibling ritual as I like to call it. My sister inspired me to do this and now it’s a part of our lives. I have realised that we do indeed shine the brightest when we brighten someone else’s day.” The Dube duo have found a common cause that has benefited their neighbourhood and adjoining areas of their city besides giving them immense satisfaction.

You and I can do it too. Even if one member from your and my family can follow in the footsteps of the Dube siblings, it would go a long way to spread cheer, happiness, and joy on this planet.

Any entry barriers? None.

What does it take to do it? We just need to ‘care’ – the way Priyanka & Amit do. Can we?