Mumbai (The Hindu): For the first time since the December 7 blaze, sounds of laughter and cheer spread through Damu Nagar on Wednesday. A Christmas surprise for children offered a much-needed respite from the traumatic memory of escaping from the fire.

A group of eight children from RBK Global School in Bhayander, Thane, came with a Santa Claus bearing gifts and sweets for the Damu Nagar children, in a Christmas celebration organised by the school. Curious little faces, some without slippers or clothes, some in their mothers arms, watched with glee as the party descended on the slum on Wednesday afternoon. Santa Claus Deepak Gupta climbed up the hilly slum with a string of children following him like the ‘Pied Piper’. “ Yeh asli hai ke nakli? [Is he real or fake?]” 12-year-old Sneha asked her friend.

It was perhaps the first time two-year-old Yogesh had laid his eyes on Santa. Too petrified to hold out his hand for a sweet, he clutched his mother tight. “Boo” he uttered, to convey ‘bhoot’ (ghost), much to the merriment of others. Many toddlers had similar reactions and they ran crying to their mothers. The older children, delighted with the sudden visit of the “topiwale mama [hatted uncle]”, surrounded Santa and his elves — RBK children with red caps.

Rahul Agle, 10, had his friends’ attention with his tale of “the real I Santa saw in my village when I was little”.

“This one is not real. When it snows, the real Santa comes. I know. I saw one when I was little. He had a long white beard,” he said. At a clearing in the slum, nearly a hundred children went around a banyan tree holding hands. Then, they lined up to receive their secret Santa gifts comprising toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, soap, lunch box, biscuits, pens and pencils. However, the gift distribution soon descended into chaos as eager children and some parents broke into a scramble. As a result, some of the children who did not receive a gift were left disappointed.

“I do not have a lunch box for school. I wanted one, but I did not get anything,” complained Maya Chakri.

An angry Sunita Kamble bristled on seeing the confusion. “This is for the children. Why are adults fighting for the gifts” she said.

For the eight children of RBK, who were aware of the plight of the slum, this was the first time they witnessed people living in “hardship”.

“Our life is better than theirs. The way they live; they struggle a lot. We have money and we get everything easily,” remarked 13-year-old Vansh Mandaliya.

“They are more hardworking,” added his friend Adil Alwani, 13. Another student, Manan Bhimani, 11, pointed out that the slum children did now have slippers and risked getting hurt. The small celebration could not cheer up the parents, who had grave concerns about food, shelter and water on their minds. However, they welcomed the initiative for the children. “Our children have seen their parents running in despair from pillar to post. Stressed parents tend to beat the children. So a chocolate or biscuit can make them happy,” said Monica Gaikwad. The paltry compensation of Rs 3,800 has triggered anger among residents. Not many are buying Wednesday’s new announcement of Rs 25,000 as compensation. “It is very well for the government to make empty announcements. What matters is what we actually get,” said Ms. Gaikwad.

At the foot of the slum, a stage was set up by the Congress and speeches calling for speedy rehabilitation were being belted out. Amidst the politicking and blame game of the adult world, the children of Damu Nagar cheered, though just for a day.

Children from RBK Global School come bearing gifts and sweets for the children