A DANNY KAYE MORNING FOR REFUGEES
By A Staff Correspondent, DANNY Kaye, the famous American comedian, was a big monotony-breaker at the Salt Lake camp for refugees on Sunday. Ever since the refugees settled down there, they have been seeing almost daily an endless stream of visitors from all over the world-statesmen, politicians and social workers, besides the innumerable reporters and photographers. All these visits make the grim atmosphere of the camp area grimmer. The refugees again and again repeat their harrowing tales of the flight from torture and while doing so, some, especially women, invariably break down in tears.
But there was no repetition of the sordid tales and nobody shed his tears during the comedian’s visit there.
Danny Kaye, who is permanent ambassador-at-large of UNICEF, arrived in Calcutta earlier in the day from Bangkok to shoot a short film on UNICEF activity. “This is part of a film being shot in different countries to show what UNICEF is doing to alleviate the sufferings of children. It is being shot on the occasion of UNICEF’s 25th anniversary this year”, he said. A large number of movie and still cameraman and film technicians accompanied him.
From Calcutta Airport the team went straight to the refugee camp area. Their first halt was at the Save the Children Fund Hospital where a large number of refugee children, suffering mostly from malnutrition, were being treated.
Danny Kaye smiled at the patients and patted them. He played with the children. His presence almost immediately changed the whole atmosphere. It was a great relief for the suffering children. Their eyes-happy and eager followed him as Danny moved from bed to bed.
Later, Danny Kaye also talked to refugees in the camp area. But never did he try to remind them of their past sufferings. On the contrary, he joked with the older ones, smiled shyly at grils and kept them all in good humor.
It was raining heavily when Danny Kaye was in the camp area, but that did not dampen his enthusiasm. He moved about meeting the refugees and “talking” to them. There was no language bar. He spoke the language of the universal man. His face, his eyes and his hands did all the talking.
Danny Kaye met the Governor in the evening. He leaves Calcutta early on Monday morning.
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 01.11.1971