Every day, his small steps slowed down at the wrought iron gates.
Every day, his little feet involuntarily led him towards it.
Every day, his big, brown eyes framed by a dirty mop of hair peeked through the unrelenting iron bars, his itty-bitty callused fingers curling around them.
Every day, he watched his contemporary saunter around on the manicured lawn.
Every day, he was delighted by the vibrant shades of his contemporaries shorts and tees.
Every day, he yearned to be invited in to play with that huge blue and yellow ball.
Every day, he wondered how privileged one must be to have a mother chase after him with a bowl of expensive-looking goop.
Every day, he was chased off by the guard on duty, “Get lost, you ruffian, and stay away. Don’t you dare steal anything! Little rascal.”
Every day, he trudged back to his corner in the chawl and drowned his misery in a bowl of stale kanji.
Note: 18.6 percent of India's 1.28 billion people are under the poverty line. Still.
And India accounts for more than 1/3rd of all malnourished children in the world.
Children whose dreams are crushed before they can start dreaming and sleep on empty little tummies, while I sit in my one BHK with my post-dinner Nutella bottle on my double bed, armed with my smartphone, laptop and first-edition hardbound books and complain about the shitty Wi-fi speed and the unfairness of life.
What do I want to do about it?
It terrifies me that I don't have an answer.
Linking to 3WW429
It does make you wonder if God is in the small things (great re-working of the novel title) ...or indeed the big things..but i suppose he gave us conscience which when we listen to it counts for something...and i am also comforted to know others share my Nutella rituals...it feels kind of sinful...but nice...like a gateway drug to cake and ice cream!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jae, didn't quite know if people would get it.
DeleteI hope it does count for something.
Haha, so true :) it IS like a gateway drug
Powerful write. I would be terrified to have no answer either...
ReplyDeleteThank you..
DeleteWe have too much to think about the ones who have too less. That is the problem.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, it is.
Deleteit's terrible to think that any child suffers this.
ReplyDeleteIt really is.
Deleteit terrifies me too.. the numbers are scary. i hope we'll find an answer, or at least something to improve the situation. i always feel so guilty too, all the luxuries i have, yet i do nothing.
ReplyDeleteNumbers are truly scary, and I hope we do too :/
DeleteI understand the feeling, maybe we could start small?
I think the greater worry would be if we stop wondering about the things like this. Since you still ponder on the fairness equation, it doesn't make you sinful, just practical and rather human, to be honest. I doubt we can ever come up with the answer to the 'Why' of this scenario.After all, we were born into our lives, each of us. But to be able to question and ponder, that is the greatness of our destiny. No easy answers to the questions, though.
ReplyDeleteBut I feel like I'm depriving someone of something because of my way of life. Can I not make even an iota of difference?
DeleteAlas. I have no answer either. It's quite a sad state of affairs, ain't it? Perhaps, we can hope and pray for a day when their life will be better. :)
ReplyDeleteMaybe the hope and the prayers will make a difference, we can only try..
DeleteTruly scary! Very powerful message, you have sent across in this post. What do we do about all this? We are well provided with what we need but we crib about not getting what we want. I don't know where all this is leading to.
ReplyDeleteMaybe be satisfied with what we have instead of discontent? Giving away what we don't need? We could start there...
DeletePerfectly penned :)
ReplyDeleteHappy to connect :)
www.anubhav-tyagi.blogspot.com
Such posts, pictures, statistics make me feel guilty of my privilege. Or should I say relief, that I am on this side of that line, where not a thought is spared if I will eat a full meal on a day! But their are things we can do, because to be *rich* we don't have to be that rich. Some related perspective. http://www.globalrichlist.com/
ReplyDeleteI guess without believing that there is a God, it would be hard to keep on going. But why's their God letting this go on?
ReplyDeleteIt's hard, it's tough, and the scary part is that we do not have an answer, yet. Very hard hitting post.
ReplyDeleteI hate that any kid is made to suffer that way. I hate it even more, that I feel helpless to make it change!
ReplyDeleteSuch versatility in your writing, at times you write so lyrical so full of dreams and romance and here you write your deep observation and apathy marvellous.. I am sold lady.
ReplyDelete