Random Acts of Kindness Week celebrated
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG, May 31: Inspired by the global celebration of the ‘Random Acts of Kindness Week’, the town of Shillong today saw its own version of celebrating kindness, thanks to the initiatives of the Department of Counselling Psychology, Martin Luther Christian University (MLCU).
Students and teachers from the Department went across the town, pausing to thank and acknowledge ordiry people like taxi drivers plying on the roads, traffic policemen at junctions, nurses in hospitals, sweepers and cleaners across the town and even the workers at MLCU’s own campus.
Thanking them for the extraordiry difference that they make to everyone’s lives. Students of the day who were dubbed as the RAKIVISTS (Random Act of Kindness Activists) also visited orphages to spread love and joy among children reminding them that they are never alone.
Speaking on behalf of the department, the Head of Department Dr Maribon said that the message behind the initiative was a simple one message of Gratitude.
“It’s to make us halt, acknowledge, smile and thank one another for being a part of each other’s lives. And the reward for all of us were the heart melting smiles and eyes full of love and gratitude,” Dr (Ms) Maribon added.
The students of the department divided themselves into different groups and visited different locations like Motphran, Laitumkhrah Police Point, IGP, Police Bazaar, Ganesh Das Hospital, Civil Hospital, Mercy Home and Orphages in the city.
Taxi drivers in Motphran expressed their surprise at being acknowledged by people and also thanked the students in turn for their gratitude. One such driver BahRit, from Mawlai said, “It’s was very kind and humbling for students who are educated and more better off than us to acknowledge not just our presence but also our work.”
He added, “People usually ignore us or are rude to us but these youngsters have shown us that there are still good and kind people in this world.”
L Nikhla, a traffic police officer at IGP after talking to the students said that he felt so great and honoured that people acknowledged his hard work and his dedication to his job which he performs come rain or shine.
“This is the first time ever anyone has come up to us and thanked us and showed us such kindness. This one small act has given us a new wave of inspiration in performing our duty, knowing that there are people who do acknowledge our hard work,” Nikhla added.
The nurses at Civil Hospital who were also recipients of the students’ act of kindness, were very happy that the students not only thanked them for their services but also helped the nurses in the general male ward with their duties on Tuesday morning.s
According to MLCU the practice of showing kindness was a small part of a bigger endeavour to bring forth the power and importance of Positive Psychology, which the Counselling Psychology Department and the University at large keenly believes in.
