While coming back from an official trip a few days back, my driver stopped the car for a cup of tea in one of the small dhabas that spring up like mushrooms on the highways. As soon as I settled down on a chair close to the window and ordered tea, I noticed a small boy of about 8 years old, bubbling with energy running errands, taking orders, serving customers and washing utensils. Everything except handle the cash counter!!! I got interested in the boy for his eyes had a sparkling enthusiasm and blessed with a good wit. I called him, and asked his name.. “Nandu” he replied with a shy smile.

I drew him into a conversation and asked him as to why he was not in school instead working here. What he narrated his sordid tale with sincerity and a voice full of boyish innocence; his was not any different from the plight of those of hundreds of thousands of other children-  an abusive father, sick mother, three siblings, poverty stricken family and another brother barely 10  already in work force. He was not aware that just a week later, the entire nation will be celebrating children’s day for millions of children like him.  The only difference I found here was the dreams of the child were still not dead. As I gulped the searing hot tea, I asked Nandu, “Would you like to go to school?”  Hardly as the question came out, he nodded his head and said,” Sure, I would love to work in offices in offices like you all and drive such cars”, as he pointed to the Ford Ikon we were traveling. At least that exposure of working on highway has given him some dreams which would soon die if not taken care of.

The morose looking fellow at the counter shouted for the boy. Soon got up and made the payments, my eyes searched for him. The sight of the boy secretly waving his hand in goodbye made it a poignant remainder of that encounter as we resumed the journey. Such encounters always make one feel a stab of injustice and guilt.

I called up the head of an institution that works on child labour issues and requested him to take this boy under their wing after giving him the location particulars I wanted to make sure that the child is put up in some hostel and receives education..  However, I knew that his family will need a lot of convincing.

Every year children’s day is celebrated on 14^th Nov with launching of number of schemes for children, developing state policies, conducting programs, yet 80 millions of children are out on farms, industries, homes and restaurants eking livelihood when they should be learning and playing. We all come across these children of lesser gods almost every day as rag pickers, beggars at traffic signals, domestic helps and tea stalls. Personally, seeing girls with small babies tucked in their arms and begging is a heart wrenching sight. We see these characters everyday but we have become so inured that we have stopped feeling or noticing them at all. On the other hand, we are eager to employ them as domestic helps for they come so cheap and can easily be exploited. This is a trend among so called fashionable and articulate people who espouse equality in conversations

We, as a nation, are becoming more educated and prosperous, and yet we are increasingly becoming an insensitive society. Why does our heart not reach out for these innocent children? We spend money on big parties, jewelry, cloths, garish weddings and our time in unproductive activities but how many of us even mentally feel a sense of obligation to these young kids?  How many of us actually even inquire about the well being of children of our own maid servants and try to bring smile on their faces even for a day?

They say child labour is caused by poverty. But isn’t it other way around. I am of the view if poverty has to be eradicated, there has to be a frontal attack on child labour. It’s the result of the exploitation of the weak and vulnerable and it is always the poor section of society who are most venerable to this exploitation. When children begin to work at early age, they remain illiterate, unskilled and unable to demand their rights for equal wages, and better condition for work. Working long hours, they burn themselves, out and their health severely impaired. They earn less, are indebted, and are caught up in the  vicious cycle of poverty.

Yet another children’s day goes silently. Despite the number of national projects  spending crores of rupees to eradicate child labour and education being a fundamental right, the situation is grim. The government allocates almost 19 percent of GDP in 11th V year plan, the plight of 80 million of children is still in doldrums. The goal to provide all children access to better education, health, and safety continue to be elusive and we continue to see this hard reality around us without being affected.  Happy children’s day! Time for us to wake up to the “other India”