I am reproducing an old bit of write up from an obsolete blog of mine (posted in another website used for blogging in those times).. Clock was set to year 2005 when this blog was written.. :-) Maybe today being Valentine's day could be the right day to reproduce it...
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I am still thinking about it..And it makes me feel more angry...and sad..
Here was I yesterday, On this very Brigades .Being a Sunday, all colours and hues were on the street..Dressed up stylish as they can..
Me too was not falling behind..With the big Grey tinted spects and posing as a daredevil...(yaa, some wud say...a country look !!! )
It was fun, when ppl avoided eye contacts...as they thought this guy might be upto smthing..I am missing my friends..or else it could have been more fun..
I was walking as much carelessly as I could..Pushing the guys who walked past ..
There were regulars, many of them mallus (I cud easily identify them from the way they stare at the girls..(Buddies I did the same till sm years back..) I was abt to reach the Rex and there was this little boy in his unclean and sagging clothes, carrying a load of bags filled with what I guess is some kinda food ..
He was barely 7 years..and he was carrying a truck load..on his head..Though shabbily dressed..his face was bearing childish innocence, the shine of which none there could match even with their latest makeups..
As he was abt to walk past me, not bothered abt the Davinci Code and abt the hoola bulla of girls who just came out of the shopping mall, His hands were stretched to the extend he could to hold tight the bags and the banana leaves he kept on the top of it..
The street was full of ppl..busy..and cheerful...The contrasting images makes it even more apparent..And suddenly the bananna leaves slipped off as he cudnt hold it firm..
Here he was..His face looking aghast and a visible helplessness was read in his eyes...I was sure that he was afraid abt the scolding and may be the beating he wud get, had he not taken the leaves with him..
He looked back and was looking for his mother or smone who had set it up on his head..But they were lost in the crowd..He stood there trying to pick the leaves in vein..But the sheer weight of the load he carried didnt allow him to bend down..He seems afraid to ask for help.He might have felt that he was in a wrong place where he didnt belong.
The sea of humanity was passing by, but who is there to take notice of the agonies of the ones who aren't fit enough to deserve attention..We are more keen shed our tears for the manufactured sentiments of the sop serials.Groups of boys and girls passed by..The much talked abt emerging youth of India pretended they haven't got eyes..
He expected least from me (I was wearing the Grey tinted goggles!!!!)..there was a real sence of gratitude in his eyes..as I picked the leaves and put under of his little fingers,which ensured to grip as strong as he cud...'thanks uncle' he said in the way he cud..And he rushed to his destination , lest he might get beaten up for being late..
I was thinking..which is the real India...Is it the big pool of neatly dressed up ( I must say I like dressing up and to see ppl dressed up..)guys and girls..or is it this little boy..who is forced to do tough labour when he is supposed to be in an school..or play with his friends..
I am sure The genetic code of his cant be different from that of those arnd..But he can never dream of becoming one like them..As he grows old he will end up carrying more loads on his head..His little brain will be rarely used to think and more used to take orders..
What a shame!The talent of our country is wasted..at such a young age..Even when we have a law to ban child labour.. Are was a civilized society.What human values do we possess..?Why do we call ourselves cultured if we allows a kid to be exploited and his future sealed in front of our eyes..Eyes are there to see.But then why we use it so selectively..hypocrites..You and me..
Bye the way, the blog is not to spoil the cheer of valentine's day .Instead I have a posting specifically dedicated for it here :
http://silentheartbeeps.blogspot.com/
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