The 'Urban' Child Labor
I was sitting back remembering what we as Indians did good for India,a thought of 'child labor' came across my mind. Confirmed that it has been removed in most rural parts,I could not find the peace I was searching for after the assurance;still child labor prevails in th most vunerable sections of the society-the school goers.
When I visited one of my neighbours who has an eight year old daughter,I was surprised to see that she was applying pain balm on the back of the little girl. I asked her as to what has happend(I thought the little girl fell down),she replied "The school bag is heavy she cannot carry it alone".That was an awstruck answer.I have seen that the users of the pain balm were elderly people;but this was the first case of a child being applied the balm.I asked her if she had complained it to the School authorities,she said,they turned deaf ears.
Most of the Schools in Hyderabad have multistoryed buildings where the classes are situated almost near the fifth floor. These school children with heavy baggage(as i call them) strain to climb all the way to the top floor.Their transport is not in Air Conditioned cars,they travel by bus or on foot,adding to their woes.
I asked the little girl as to why she has to carry all her books,just sufficent for the day is enough.She replied saying that she is afraid to be caught without a book as she doesnt want to face embarrasment before her classmates.She even added that the teachers add foul-language words which is hard to erase from their minds.Most of the kids donot sit upright-they bend a little and walk due to the pressures on their back.
These kids hardly ever play after returning from School;their schedule of 'tutions' and 'extra classes' takes over.They say that they 'strive' to study hard and they are bound to do so because of the pressure coming from their parents and teachers.Unhealthy competitions and comparison with other kids compel them only to study.Infact, on an average, a school kid carrys a bag more than 10% of his/her weight!
The bag manufacturers make good business,the bags these kids have are not the plain ones with only a zip and a pouch;but they have different compartments for different books,a section for lunch box,a pouch for stationary and moreover a waterbottle holder.They display an array of cartoons and made up of various water-proof material.In this age of electronics shrinking,only the school bags keeps adding on weight.
I saw a little girl walking on the road towards her School, I thought probably she might go to the nearby railway station,but she just headed to School,and what made me astronish was the fact that she did not carry her school bag on her back,but on a trolley!Strange are the ways of people.The doctors clinics are lined up with young children,all complaining of back pains.It is not right for children to have pain killers!
Various health drinks for kids claim to help them 'grow taller',but I say,why not introduce 'energy boosters' to help them carry their school bags?Infact I would not be surprised if a school going kid will drink 'red bull' one day!
We often forget the urban kids,we are focused on the rural kids,atleast we see that they donot carry heavy school bags!These kids are a happy lot,they do their work in joy and never to bother about any kind of pain.
I say that today's children are tomorow's citizens; but if we as adults take away their rights to play and keep adding weight on their back,how will they rule the broken country with their broken back?