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Manisha Bhatia
Manisha Bhatia is the author of book, When My Father Cried, a romantic fiction novel released on 4th September by Story Mirror at Oxford Bookstore :)
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INNOCENCE AT STAKE~ WHO'S MISTAKE?



Its true one can easily depict the plight of child labor from my sketch. It has often distrubed me and most of the times I found myself helpless as well. I remember in my childhood days when I used to return back from my school, I used to conduct classses for all the children in neighborhood and girls (teenagers) who used to work at my home at that point of time, aah I was quite young at that time and I still remember their name- "Sukhlauti and Meena".  I still remember  their faces.

My parents and grandparents always supported me in this innocent task of mine. Among all the children at our home only I was the one intersted in conducting such classes, so I guess this all is naturally inherited in the blood and cannot be taught. So what I used to teach them? Whatever I used to learn in my school. I knew they won't be able to afford anything so I used to provide them all the paraphernalia. My joy used to never have any bounds when I could see them writing their name correctly themselves. This went on, till I myself was now caught up with the pressure of studies, extracurricular activities etc etc.

I still help out whenever and wherever I can but I am not able to do much for many reasons.

a)      Those children have families and to take a strict action who have to first fight with the families. I am no social worker n definitely have no time on earth to do so as of now.

b)      The biggest reason I cannot do anything and somewhere I agree as well- If I stop someone from earning, Can I provide them another option? What is more important? Money to buy food and survive or money to buy books? Well I juggled with all permutations n combinations but still could not reach to any conclusion.

c)      How much and how will education help specially to poor girl child? In India, system is so pathetic that they are married off in an unripe age and it's after marriage their lifelong suffering actually starts. Unsafe sex, pregnancy at very young age, lack of medical facilities, poor health, and the list is endless. My heart n eyes have often witnessed this plight and all you can do is help them through money and food.

d)     The other important question, even if they struggled and now able to grasp basic education, Will it provide them employment? Well, I should better be tight-lipped about the pathetic employment stage of my country.

If I say that we all witness it everyday, Will you agree with me? When you are out on trip with family and you stop to the highway dhaba to grab on yummiest food which even the swankiest joints cannot provide. When you passby a construction site, at your home/office, tea stalls, railway stations, bus stands, while travelling through public transport, in the midst of traffic signals...its contagious...its everywhere...

My question is still persistent. Innocence at stake~ Who's MISTAKE?

WHEN I WAS LOST IN ME...

@Copyright 2012- Manisha Bhatia

12 comments:

CYNOSURE said...

a very important question raised and the answer is the toughest one to be given by anyone...who's mistake...???

4 reasons you gave are the problems faced by almost everyone who tries to take a step ahead in this direction...beautifully written and excellently quoted... :)

Jyoti Mishra said...

its like a disease we are inheriting from generation to generation and still unable to treat it...
reasons for unable to do much are shockingly commonplace... though a lots been done, but still we unable to attack the root of the problem...

children loosing their childhood in this way is very pathetic... what's more disgusting is to know that... no solution seems to work..

Sumit Chakraborty said...

Very nicely written..
awesome work dearo :)loved it.

Irfanuddin said...

A thought provoking post....
well, for me its the mistake of the society as a whole...bcoz most of the people living in the society perhaps never ever think this way as you do.....in fact there are people who just don't even want to pay them enough at the end of the day......morover there is nothing much that can be done on indidvidual basis, so unless society as whole starts thinking for them i have a doubt that anything frutifull is possible to do for these tender age kids....

Melissa Tandoc said...

It's a sad plight everywhere Mani. The government should provide the basics for the people. However, while it does, some prefer 'easy money' to the detriment of the young who needs to be educated and provided for and not viceversa.

I laud you for your earlier efforts to spend time with these children. While you couldn't be the savior of everybody else, the simple things you did for them have given them hope ;)

Leah Griffith said...

Mani, I admire your heart for wanting to change things for these people. Even as a child you were sensitive to their plight. It was as though you knew even then that these people are you. If they suffer so do you. We are all one after all and that is where compassion is born.

In my country we are better insulated from the destitute. There are programs, but sometimes even this isn't enough. With the declining economy we are beginning to see many more homeless families. It's so sad.

Keep your heart and eyes open Mani, and then do what you feel led to do.

Sending love.
Leah

Vishesh Vishu said...

nice
v well written yaar
i admire ur feeling mani di
basicaly its a crime banned in our country but still going on small town & villages
i feel really is our mistake yaar
i feel this
some how think we itself responsible for it
bec v some times do this it doesnot matter how well educated yaar
we just make people aware about this
u have put ur step forward to stop
donot worry go ahead v all with u yaar
hopefuly one day we will stop this one day
we will make our country no 1 country of the world
really its
"TIME TO CHANGE INDIA"

Manisha Bhatia said...

@ALl- Thanks so much :)

The Poet said...

My dear Mani,
Sadly, such sadness exist in our world and not sure if it will ever go away. Interesting post my dear.

Obat Impotensi Lemah Syahwat said...

good posting about innocence at stake whos mistake

Prithu Barnwal said...

beautiful post mani di...everyone sees it,some observe it,of which some think to act,of which some are too busy,convincing themselves that their lives are enough messy to do something for others or are weak and hide it by saying god is watching over all of us while of all,rarely a few act.

obat kuat said...

Very nice post and interesting to read .... I love visiting this blog.

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