Kastur Ba was very upset. Her husband wanted her to do something which she never dreamed of doing.

Gandhi and his wife Kastur Ba were in South Africa. Gandhi was helping the Indian laborers who were treated worse than animals by the white rulers of that country.

``You must help in the cleaning of the toilets’’, he said. She refused. Her husband would not take `no’ for an answer. ``No work is menial. You do not become small in importance’’.

Kastur Ba understood that labor has its dignity. All works is important and should be treated with respect. And she did go out to clean the toilets.

Shramadaan Volunteering your time and offering t do something for good cause or to help society is called ``Shramadaan’’. It’s like donating you labor. Learn how little effort labor on our part can do wonders for us, and those around us.

• In 1958 years Lake Sunkhna was created at the foothills of Shivalik. The eighties saw a drastic fall in its water level affecting the environment. The people in charge did not take this seriously.

Good citizens and students could not bear it. They came to the rescue. Many pairs of hands worked and desalted Sunkhna. Shramadaan of these people made the lake look good once again.

• In the district Latur in Maharashtra, Ismailbadi is enjoying the rewards of Shramadaan. Students offer Shramadaan to keep the roads and water wells clean. They also beautify the landscape. Water supply of drinking water from the wells is also managed by them

• Have you ever visited a Gurudwara? When you do, do not be surprised if you see a general in simple clothes, bare feet, sweeping and mopping floors doing ``Kar Sewa!’’.

Child labor

Child labors our country and many other countries have an ugly side-child labor. One is the sad story of Puneet in class 4. Children, even younger than you, are working to help out their parents. It is a huge problem. Each one of us needs to help them.