Tempting Grit...!!

Fight for the Future of Young Lives.....

Last month , on my way to Chandigarh with two friends , I found a story which is very difficult to express in words. Its been 20yrs , I have come on this earth , have never seen or I can say never  tried to see these small things which tell us what actually is happening in this world. Friends we all want to or  have that thinking  where we feel like having fun , no responsibilities , no pressure of work, we want to live our lives in a very cool way! Have we ever seen children sitting beside the road , the chottu works in a shop , the little girl who goes to different houses to wash utensils  and the forced  beggers , offcorse we see them daily while going to office , college , school  or on the way to market. But we ignore it , it’s a daily issue now. What’s so new in it! Aren’t they  Humans like us.....?

                                                                                                       

I realized it when I met this boy called Raju , working in a tea stall , Yes I met him on my way to Chandigarh. I stopped my car in front of the tea stall and a boy in his short pants came and asked me to have a cup of tea! He was very thin seemed malnutritioned , with  drowsy eyes , very tired , and in torn muddy clothes. I don’t know but I coudn't keep my eyes off him. He was cute, jumping here and there, seems as he was in his own world! He came up with three cups of tea. I asked him to come and sit with us, he was very talkative , he  started telling us about his funny incidences , and started cracking jokes, we laughed a lot! Then I asked him where are you from , where are your parents and family ? And the answer was I don’t know from where I belong but people say I look and talk like a Bengali! And my parents, I have not seen them from years. So I asked but why? He told me , his parents sold him for some money to a man! He started working in a garage at the age of 9. I guess me and you would be in 3^rd or 4^th  standard at this age! Well its not the end , Raju told me he  had to work  14 hrs a day! 14 hrs!!!!! And his master  used to pay him Rs 1200 per month. I think this would  not be enough for our family to even go out for a dinner. I am amazed but he still had something , the painful scars..... tells about how much he has been beaten up by his master. 15 days ago he escaped from that garage , and now he is working in this small tea stall.

How do you feel here Raju , is it a better place? "Haan didi humko yahan kumse-kum khaane ko toh milta h.....aur humko maartey bh nh hainn!"

(at least i get some food here and they don't beat me)

He was just 13 , this was his age to go school to study, to live with his family , to play with friends and toys but he can only “Dream about it , Cant live it”!!!! Today I feel I am so lucky to have such parents and family who taught me , and kept me in cocoon , very safely, but on the other hand when i watch such children around me i get disappointed by myself .

What about the Rajus in this country , there is not just one Raju , there are many!

A DOCUMENTARY : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ8UWi59ZXo&feature=related

The 2001 national census of India estimated the total number of child labour, aged 5–14, to be at 12.6 million.Child labor problem is not unique to India; worldwide, about 215 million children work, many full time. Hmmm..."Child Labor" is an offence! We all know , so if you ever see any child working and been scolded unnecessarily please CONTACT CHILD-HELPLINE :1098 
You can save someone's life!
Millions of children are victims of violence and exploitation. They are physically and emotionally vulnerable and they can be scarred for life by mental or emotional abuse. But we can make a change its in our hand only! We can give a new life to a child!

THINK IT OVER!!

                                                                                                                                                                                  --NIKITA (IO)