"Moin Khan was seven years old when he hugged his parents in Bihar before boarding a train for Delhi. Three years later, his parents boarded the same train last night for Delhi, where the child they loved is now buried. He was ten."
This is an excerpt from a leading daily and sets up the tone for the argument I am going to present here. To understand the pain of the tragedy here, one has to be a parent, and if one is not then let me take a big stride in past where I see our hands are holding pens or cricket bats or in case of the fairer sex Barbie dolls. I can see all of us wearing good clothes (which we never washed), going to good schools (which we never cared for), eating chocolates (obviously from the pocket money) and having all amenities in our homes which is necessary for a well privileged life. I suppose the most amazing image we all are experiencing, is of our parents sacrificing their luxury to add it to ours.
Now lets come back to the present after that precious ride we had into our past. I don't know how many of you think it this way, but I certainly think that I was lucky enough to be born under parents who could afford me. (Even if it meant to cut down on their own luxuries) And I guess we all should be proud of having lived this life in our childhood. We now know ourselves as the civilized lot of the society but remember it came out of sheer chance. Now how many children really get this kind of chance? What happens to the children who don't get this kind of a chance? Unfortunately by the time we are thinking of an answer here, India produces another Moin.
Our policy makers couldn't take care of this basic fact (now curbing up policies merely for vote bank). But aren't we responsible for letting this damn thing called child labor happening around us. Its time to rise up to the occasion and make sure we make a thick dark line in our humane thinking and at the least at an individual level discourage child labor. I appeal to myself and to all my countrymen who are reading this blog to discourage child labor at every single place. Just avoid any place where you see child labor and if by accident you seem to encounter any child serving you at any place just be harsh with the owner giving him a good dosage of your abusive vocabulary (not literally). Lets encourage children to think big and support them whatever way we can(financially,emotionally,education etc.). Just watching another Moin's story on the news every now and then and uttering the words 'Uff/Aww/Bechara/F**K' or in an extreme case of sympathy two drops of tears won't help anyone. Every child has the right to see and fulfill dreams and for this he needs all the support in the world. We got it during our times, now its time for us to provide it.
PS: Dedicated to Moin and a million children like him..
6 comments:
Again well written sahu .. i too feel the same that we are the lucky ones to get all the luxuries and everybody is not as lucky as us. But we understand the need and we will do our best to curb this child abuse.
Very well written Sworen.. And that's very true that only and only because of our parents we are, where we are as they gave us that one chance and its our responsibility to give that one chance to those children’s also who can't afford to bring, that big change in there life.. We will try our best to bring back the smile on there faces :)
Hey! A very nice topic and a well explained script…Just want to add one point.
There are many children who are getting tortured because of Child Labor, but there are many orphan children also who are able to feed themselves because of the same. So discouraging child labor will surely help so many victims like Moin but then there are many children also, for whom it may add up to their pain. In country like India, where thousand of people have to sleep on streets, because they don’t have enough houses, stopping this may lead to snatching their food also from them. The problem is Poverty, if this will remain in society, then no one can stop Child Labor or any sort of harsh treatment. A hungry person needs food, then it doesn’t matter how he is earning that.
@sam: I hope what you said is really put into action by us. Its high time and we have to understand the sensitivity of the issue. We cannot portray ourselves being an economically booming nation with such issues still hanging around.
@nishi: Appreciate your feeling for our parents :).Yes the responsibility has to be taken by us and will do our best too.
@neha: well analysed :) mam. But the problem I really want to emphasize is just not the child labor, but the kind of labor being taken out from them. Beating children till death is not the way to go. Many orphans are there and they are exposed to work because they have to live, but they shouldn't be exposed to brutal beatings.They might still work but we shouldn't forget at the end of the day they are still kids. High time for good governance in this matter (which will start at an individual level). Thanks :)
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