Photo taken by first-time contributor Uday Narayanan, a 26-year-old from New Delhi, India. Uday has an uncle who suffers from Schizophrenia. His uncle has been living with him for the last 20 years. Growing up, Uday remembers his uncle as being a loving man who would play with him every evening, but who would get extremely moody at times. As a kid, the frequent switches in his uncle’s behavior would annoy Uday. It was only after his parents explained to him about his condition that he realized how tough it is for him. In a country like India, mental illness is still a taboo. No one talks about it openly. Going to a psychiatrist or even a psychologist raises several eyebrows. It is very important that people are educated about mental illness so that they don’t shy away from seeking professional help. Uday’s uncle takes medication regularly and is leading a very healthy, content and normal life. Uday stresses that mental illness should not be considered different from any other disorder. Like in any other illness, it’s a case of a certain body part not functioning exactly the way it should. With proper medication and care it can be treated effectively.

About this photo: “This kid lives with his mother and sister under a flyover in New Delhi, India. Like them, there are plenty of others who migrate from villages to this city in search of jobs. Obviously they are paid only so much that they can hardly sustain themselves. Getting meals three times a day is a distant dream.

Things were not that bad for this family until a year ago when her husband died in a road accident. He used to work as a laborer in a construction company and would get paid enough to support his family.  They even had a makeshift tent, a shelter to call their own. Now that he is no more, future of this family looks dark; full of struggle and pain. Will life ever get back to ‘normal’? Will they manage to get a roof over their head? Will they survive the next Delhi winter?

I could read all these questions in the kid’s eyes.”

_____

**Visit Broken Light’s main gallery here. Currently accepting submissions.

*Like us on Facebook & Twitter. Follow below for e-mail notifications.