Pralhad GiriNew Delhi, February 9
(Picture Courtesy: Jenny Williams )
“Hey! What’s you doing?” A businessman said frantically to a girl nearby IIT Bus stop at Hauz Khas. ‘ Le lo sahib! Ek to lelo na….Subah se kuch bhi nahi khaya…le lo na…(Take at least one sir! I haven’t had anything since morning). That’s the touchable moment! One couldn’t help giving her the coin. The girl reveals the fact that it’s a pressure from her family guardians coming to roadside. “I have to make today minimum 50 rupees anyhow,” giggles Reema, the girl. Even obstructing traffic rules have their daily walks of life, when a tinge of sadness suddenly swoons in ecstasy.
To Reema, age of 14 working at the street of South Delhi, traffic light points are the best junction to make her quick buck. Many times she enjoys doing so because of her very abstemious habit yet there are umpteen shadow moments that have made here disappointed. It happened when target is not met. At times, she does chase people riding in their hired auto rickshaw when someone is willing to give money.
It is obvious that vicious circle of poverty especially those families who are unable to provide basic needs of child has propelled them to coming on streets. Displacement of families because of orphaned or abandoned, sent to work in urban centres by parents/guardians, runaway from home due to abuse from family caused by alcoholism, poverty, family breakdown and being allured by traffickers are the some other reasons to turn them into the street.
Paradoxically, many street children in Delhi have frail and feeble voices. A rag picker child when questioned why he is on that job, didn’t reply and ran away. Some answer, whereas many do not think plausible to come on conversation. “They are economically exploited, physically abused, neglected and constantly harassed”, says Abhijit Gupta, an NGO activist. Gupta affirms that concerned stakeholders have either failed to address their situations or implement the related policies.
“Social factors have made them responsible to plunging into the streets. Uneducated guardians do not understand the importance and role of education in shaping the future of the child and nation,” adds Gupta. “Consequently, lack of educated household members retards to make guardians irresponsible towards their children's wellbeing, carrying, studying and other essential development, which stimulates the children to leave their home being uncontrolled.”
The case of child labour is having a startling fact throughout South Asia. According to the vast majority of available literature, the large number of people living in poverty is the immediate cause of high incidence of child labour in the region. Many times children are sent to work when a family crisis occurs such as death of the breadwinner or major illness of a member. Delhi is one of the highest recipients of child domestic workers whereas the equal participation is consumed by roadside area. “There’s a certain freedom in street life. And the children begin to enjoy this. They don’t even realise there’s an option beyond exploitation,” says Bagyashrei Dengle of Plan India, an NGO that works with street children. More than a dozen children throng to the vehicles that stop on a traffic light, with their respective pleas. Unlike their own hobbies and aspirations, many children get used to money-making campaign and grow up in the knowledge that money makes their parents happy.
“There could be better option than this begging. Do you want to change this job?” when question this in their community, many of them were not positioned to change the profession. Reema doesn’t look forward to an option either. “What’s there to do, this is fine,” she shrugs. Her 12 year-old companion Dilip adds, “If I make Rs.200 on a good day, that’s enough.” Even those known the popularity of blockbuster Slumdog Millionaire, these children don’t dream of being millionaires anyway.
While Delhi is not a single Metropolitan for such alarming rate of street children increased. Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore have also been targeted by the migrant children. Children migrate with their parents and as a result of worst economical condition of parents, get involved into odd jobs. It is being happened more in metro cities like Delhi due to the low level of income in their own home. Major percentages of such children get addicted to use of drugs and their main work is scrap collection or stealing. With girls it is serious issue as rural poor illiterate parents abandon girl child to end up life in brothel or street prostitution and of them some escape to streets begging, scrap collection and finally end up as prostitutes. Unemployment of the members of the family is the solely responsible for fragile domestic economic status of the Indian household which ultimately causes poverty. Economically poor parents are unable to meet the requirements of their children. As a result, they run away from their rural home to urban areas to involved themselves in many work for survival. When they fail to get any employment, they compel to go on street and do the work as worst as they never expected.
To Reema, age of 14 working at the street of South Delhi, traffic light points are the best junction to make her quick buck. Many times she enjoys doing so because of her very abstemious habit yet there are umpteen shadow moments that have made here disappointed. It happened when target is not met. At times, she does chase people riding in their hired auto rickshaw when someone is willing to give money.
It is obvious that vicious circle of poverty especially those families who are unable to provide basic needs of child has propelled them to coming on streets. Displacement of families because of orphaned or abandoned, sent to work in urban centres by parents/guardians, runaway from home due to abuse from family caused by alcoholism, poverty, family breakdown and being allured by traffickers are the some other reasons to turn them into the street.
Paradoxically, many street children in Delhi have frail and feeble voices. A rag picker child when questioned why he is on that job, didn’t reply and ran away. Some answer, whereas many do not think plausible to come on conversation. “They are economically exploited, physically abused, neglected and constantly harassed”, says Abhijit Gupta, an NGO activist. Gupta affirms that concerned stakeholders have either failed to address their situations or implement the related policies.
“Social factors have made them responsible to plunging into the streets. Uneducated guardians do not understand the importance and role of education in shaping the future of the child and nation,” adds Gupta. “Consequently, lack of educated household members retards to make guardians irresponsible towards their children's wellbeing, carrying, studying and other essential development, which stimulates the children to leave their home being uncontrolled.”
The case of child labour is having a startling fact throughout South Asia. According to the vast majority of available literature, the large number of people living in poverty is the immediate cause of high incidence of child labour in the region. Many times children are sent to work when a family crisis occurs such as death of the breadwinner or major illness of a member. Delhi is one of the highest recipients of child domestic workers whereas the equal participation is consumed by roadside area. “There’s a certain freedom in street life. And the children begin to enjoy this. They don’t even realise there’s an option beyond exploitation,” says Bagyashrei Dengle of Plan India, an NGO that works with street children. More than a dozen children throng to the vehicles that stop on a traffic light, with their respective pleas. Unlike their own hobbies and aspirations, many children get used to money-making campaign and grow up in the knowledge that money makes their parents happy.
“There could be better option than this begging. Do you want to change this job?” when question this in their community, many of them were not positioned to change the profession. Reema doesn’t look forward to an option either. “What’s there to do, this is fine,” she shrugs. Her 12 year-old companion Dilip adds, “If I make Rs.200 on a good day, that’s enough.” Even those known the popularity of blockbuster Slumdog Millionaire, these children don’t dream of being millionaires anyway.
While Delhi is not a single Metropolitan for such alarming rate of street children increased. Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore have also been targeted by the migrant children. Children migrate with their parents and as a result of worst economical condition of parents, get involved into odd jobs. It is being happened more in metro cities like Delhi due to the low level of income in their own home. Major percentages of such children get addicted to use of drugs and their main work is scrap collection or stealing. With girls it is serious issue as rural poor illiterate parents abandon girl child to end up life in brothel or street prostitution and of them some escape to streets begging, scrap collection and finally end up as prostitutes. Unemployment of the members of the family is the solely responsible for fragile domestic economic status of the Indian household which ultimately causes poverty. Economically poor parents are unable to meet the requirements of their children. As a result, they run away from their rural home to urban areas to involved themselves in many work for survival. When they fail to get any employment, they compel to go on street and do the work as worst as they never expected.
