Hai hai kori ki upaye, shobi geche moder (what can we do, we have lost everything)

These lines form part of a song that five-year-old Sarjana, a girl from Aila-hit Sunderbans, sings on railway stations to raise money for those ravaged by the cyclone.

On Tuesday, Sarjana came to visit West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi to hand over the Rs 200 she had earned through a singing and dancing programme that was telecast on Doordarshan. She donated the money to the Aila Relief Fund. 

“The Governor blessed me and asked me to do well,” Sarjana said after coming out of the Raj Bhavan.

Earlier, she handed over the collections raised from passengers on the Hridaypur and Barasat railway stations to the Basirhat MP for helping the Aila victims.

The devastation left behind by Aila immensely impacted the Calcutta Public School transition class student. A resident of Dhannokuria at Basirhat, she lives with her grandparents, younger brother Surjya Biswas (6) and parents.

“I watched the damage Cyclone Aila had caused to our people. I wanted to help them. But I did not know how to do so. I thought the best alternative for me is to raise alms through my song and dance,” said Sarjana, who is learning the Odissi dance.

Moved by the appeal of Sarjana, her mother Sathi Biswas (27) composed a song for her. With grandfather Nishith Biswas (75) and other well-wishers Sarjana headed for the railway station.

“I love dancing and singing. When my mother taught me the new song, I picked it up instantly. I went to the stations and sang and danced to raise money,” said Sarjana.