What’s the point? What’s the bloody fucking point? No matter how many campaigns you do, no matter how many panel discussions you organize and no matter how many ministers you approach, it’s still the same thing! Nothing changes. Things just remain how it is. So bloody disillusioned today.
Went to the Barasat District Court today from college (yea that’s our idea of a field trip in law school). Well we were in the court for about half an hour and then we headed to the millions of shacks in the area. There was this area called the Barasat Bar Association where there were these kuti kuti shacks all selling tea, snacks, lunch and all. So we found one such shack and sat ourselves down. We had tea and some kochuri and shobji. In that shack was this cutest little boy. He must not have been more than 6 years of age. He had the cutest buckteeth and the most wonderful smile in the world. He works there. He served us tea and water and cleaned the table and waited on us. I suddenly felt so ashamed. The tea just would not go down my throat. I felt so angry, so helpless, so frustrated. Here I was lecturing students in universities and colleges across town about the abolition of child labour and telling people in various panel discussions and talks about how they should not make young children work, but when you see it right in front of your eyes, you just feel so very helpless. Frustrated. Angry with yourself for not being able to do a thing. Angry because the system sucks. Pissed off beyond belief because nothing you have done in the past six months has made any difference. I know its not that long a time, but when you come face to face with something like this, that face, that smile with his buckteeth, God I just felt like banging my head and hanging it in shame. Shame on me. Shame on my government. Shame on the people for not doing anything about young kids employed in places like this. Shame on my friends for not even blinking when he served us the tea. Shame on us.
Today I just feel so vulnerable. I mean I don’t know what to do. I thought we were going on the right track, doing the right things to get rid of child labour. But then you come face to face with situations like this you’re back to square one. Maybe even worse.
And don’t tell me things like where will they go. At least they are getting some work. At least they are getting something to eat. At least they are getting some money for their family. Maybe they don’t even have a family to go back home to. This is really better.
NOTHING but nothing can justify this. So DON'T even try to. There are absolutely NO EXCUSES for letting this happen. This child is NOT supposed to earn for his family. And if he does not have a family then the state is supposed to ensure that he gets a proper schooling. A proper education. What ever happened to that fundamental right to education?
Oh and did I mention that all this was happening in front of a court inside a place called Barasat BAR association in front of the Barasat District COURT? Yeah I know the ironies of life. Except perhaps this hurts just that little more because of his six-year old smile and his oh-so adorable buckteeth.
