We lost Nishit and four of our beautiful children on April 2002 in a tragic accident.
Mina Saran, Nishit’s mother, was determined to have a memorial for Nishit and the four others who died in the accident. In her mind, she decided that a memorial on the site of the accident would be the most appropriate source of solace and strength to her and the other parents.
The task was never easy. At every step, officials, police, and others intervened and tried to block or contest the site, even though it had been sanctioned by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit herself. Continuous and lengthy questioning by the police and others, repeated theft from the site at night, and other obstacles, did not deter Mina, and the small enclosed area on Lodi road now stands as a wonderful memorial to Nishit, Ashish, Pooja, Shivali and Pankaj.
The site is maintained by The Nishit Saran Foundation and is not open to public visitation.
However, if any one does wish to visit the site and pay their respects to these souls they are more than welcome to contact us and schedule such a visit.
Memorial Site Pictures
The Nishit Saran Award
Nishit’s alma mater, Army Public School, remembers him fondly and with pride as one of their brightest achievers in the last ten years. In addition to topping his class in academics, Nishit was an active debater and also the school captain.
In his memory, the school has instituted the Nishit Saran award for ‘luminary of the year’ and also conducts the annual Nishit Saran English debate. The award is supported by the Nishit Saran Foundation to recognize all round achievement and promise in a student, and pays homage to Nishit’s own formative years in the school environment.
Award Pictures
Support To Families Of Gay Children
In ‘Summer in my Veins’, Nishit filmed the moment when he told his mother Mina, that his sexual preferences were his own gender.
We don’t think any other parent would have had quite that kind of coming out moment.
In their own way, our children are always talking to us; trying to tell us about their lives, even when they can’t say it out in so many words. Sometimes it is us who cannot bring ourselves to listen, or to even realize that there is something in the minds of our children they cannot share with us.
The truth is that it is hard to come to terms with a child being gay in India. Little can prepare you for it, and most of us will almost never have even imagined the possibility. However, our experience with Nishit, from accepting his sexuality to then losing him, has taught us about what is most important about being parents – that we love and accept our children for who they are, and that their sexuality doesn’t change the person that you have always known them to be. Knowing that they are safe with us will help them through their own struggles in life, and even with their own acceptance of who they are.
As parents we were fortunate to have been endowed by such acceptance by our creator and now wish to share our approach and experience with other parents who don’t always feel equipped to handle their child’s sexual preferences.
Over the years, Mina has spoken to many parents who have approached her, reading about her total acceptance in the papers or hearing her on TV. She always told these parents that she does not claim to have all the answers, and knows that every family lives in different circumstances, but as a mother who has gone through what she has, she only wants to encourage other parents to talk to her and to each other if one of their children, or someone in their family, is gay. She believes that Nishit would have been happy that she was doing this.
Support For Filmmakers
Nishit’s greatest love was film. Never without a camera in his hand, and on his way to a promising career, film was an indelible part of his life and must also, therefore, be one of his legacies.
The Nishit Saran Foundation is currently in the process of setting up foundational support grants for young film makers. These will include a package of camera and film equipment rentals, access to editing software and systems as well as a small monetary stipend to cover initial costs. Modalities are being worked out, so check back on this space soon for more details, including grant information, eligibility, application procedures, and timelines.
School
Most of us have known for a long time that our system of education is all too daunting for children and parents alike. In India this process of acquiring a sound education is even more irksome for most who we label as poor. Financial pressures makes such parents go through a roller-coaster ride where they do invest in their child’s future by sending them to school only to buckle under monetary strains to pull the child out of school so as to give them a hand in their work.
It takes eighteen years to become a graduate in our country which is the most rudimentary requisite to get started in a decent job.
So much time, money and energy is spent going through this monolithic grind.
We at the Nishit Saran Foundation believe that there is a better way.
The path is much quicker if we empower our children coming from weaker economic parts of our system by making them proficient in English and giving them enough hands on practical time in learning and honing their skills on the computer.
Would it not be amazing if in three years we can impart to a destitute child, command on the English language and basic computer skills and make him competent to work in any BPO?
Is that not truly the essence of integration?
A dream must make a beginning—today we have begun this process by starting ‘Next Step’ a school to teach English and the computers. A humble beginning made by Nishit’s father Raj, set the stage. Starting with a single computer he was soon to acquire six more from friends and ‘JWT’. From two students the number rose modestly to more ten in a few weeks.
Raj was assisted in his endeavour by his son Mohit who had been researching various models for teaching English for the last three years.
School Pictures
Syllabus
The foundation is now preparing a unique syllabus for proficiency in the English language. A program that envisages the development of eighteen modules to be taught over four years.
We realize as many others do that language like so much in life is an acquired skill and quite simply consistent exposure in a hear-read-speak and write format over a period of time is all that it takes to develop an impressive command of any language.
We wish to now increase this number dramatically and are taking various measures to do the same. We want to set up a regular school to compliment the infrastructural and financial inputs needed to run such an institute prolifically.
Please do come forward with financial and infrastructural support.
Library on books on religion
Ironically though not surprisingly it was Nishit who started us on reading books on religion and spirituality. At a book fair at Pragati Maidan in Delhi Nishit who was in the eighth standard bought by a book by Rajneesh. Over the last many years for altogether different reasons every member of the Saran family became avid readers of books on the subject. Today our collection though modest to many similar collections of seekers on the path begs to be shared by many who thirst to know themselves more intimately .
We have begun collating these books and plan to start the free library by January 2008. We invite you all to contribute your collections towards enhancing our effort in developing a library which hopefully would one day count among the finest collections on this subject.
We will keep you posted on developments regarding this project.