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31st December morning, Pratham Mysore Balwadi teachers of Ghousia Nagar slums, had received more than 600 pieces of paper supposed to be greeting cards. The children aged 4 and 7 years, had responded to an assignment to make a greeting cards with a design of their choice. It ranged from a few scratches on paper to birds, dogs, cats and even figures supposed to be their teachers. All this was to convey their greetings for the New Year. This was truly loves labor.
While the city dwellers were busy planning for the evening party and maybe even what to wear for the New Year eve celebrations, the group of Balwadi teachers had other things on their mind. They were trying to visualize an effective way to display their student's creations!! They had laid out the pieces of paper on the floor of Uzminissa's home. The papers had stretched to every possible space in the modest home which was also the school to about 25 during the day. It covered the floor like a carpet. After many suggestions were turned down, a roll of rope lying in the corner of the house seemed to suggest an answer. Why not string it all and make it a long greeting card. The idea was a winner. There was instantaneous acceptance. But the rope was not sufficient to hang all the pieces of art. The crowd that had gathered offered some from their own homes. By now the stringing of the paper had become a community activity. Mothers, grandmothers in the neighborhood had also joined in the children's venture. They seemed to be more excited than the artists themselves.
By noon news had reached Meera and Vikram, the area programme coordinators. By the time they arrived at the spot, the cards were strung at Sultan Shaheed Marriage Hall, the only place that had sufficient space to hang the 350 feet long creation, which was now being referred to as the "Longest Greeting Card".
Seshadri, the Chief Programme coordinator of Pratham Mysore, was not going to let this novelty just hang there to dry in the sun. Why not call his friends in the media to take a picture, which he guessed was news worthy. The news of the media persons coming spread like wild fire. On the morning of 1st of January 2004, a crowd had assembled in the narrow lane of Ghousia Nagar. Each child artist wanted to stand behind his picture for a photograph. The families too had assembled. After all the pull and push to get the artists in a straight line, one click of the camera froze the event. A click to adorn prominent pages of the local newspapers. The children of the slums had greeted the entire city of Mysore "A Happy New Year" like none had done before.
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