The whole scene was echoing with chanting slogans for Indo-Pak friendship and strong future relations. An open-air made-up function seemed a ‘Dinner Special’ for the privileged rather than the very serious and touchy issue of Street Children. The concern of the people present looked rather superfluous and there didn’t seem any basic understanding of how these nameless children begin their days and end their nights, to live and survive on the minimal stuff.
A group of thirty street children from India who spend their day-to-day life on railway tracks and on footpaths, arrived in the country to play cricket with the deprived children of this country. It was noticeable that while the Indian children belonged to the lower strata and the street life of India, the children chosen to represent Pakistan were basically not from the street existence in this country. Many of them belonged to the villages, who were literally imported from the interior Sindh and Punjab.
While the peace initiatives were supposed to be the primary concern of the local administration to promote goodwill and good understanding of the problems the street children face in both the countries, the overall reaction shown by the organizers and the participants was a damp squib!
These street urchins, who had arrived in Karachi by train were, however, very receptive. They existed in the same vicious circle that swallows thousands of young lives in the subcontinent, before being noticed by organizations like Jamghat, Chetna, Mukti Aashram, Bachpan Bachao Aandolan and Bal Mitr. These kids are getting informal and formal education with the provision of skill training programmes arranged by some activists. They had already represented the country in World Social Forum at Mumbai.
Nevertheless, political aspects cannot be ignored. And though all over the subcontinent peace moots are being organized in the name of better relations, or better elections to create favourable conditions for the men in the hot seats on both sides. These efforts are still questionable. Are they being made to sincerely uplift the downtrodden young lives in either country?
India is a country where the country’s future is subsisting in these child labour camps, underground jails and sweat shops. Where approximately 70 per cent Hindus, 18 per cent Muslims and 50 per cent of the scheduled castes children are lured into bonded labour through unscrupulous and cruel proprietors or middlemen in charge. The economic and social rights, whether of children or adults, have always been violated to practice bonded labour, human trafficking and prostitution. Yet, the government spends huge amounts on defence and on establishing worthless commissions and committees, which never turn out to be fruitful. All this proves that bureaucratic handcuffs are still very much in place and our governments are unable to institute practical measures in order to change the conditions of the downtrodden and the destitute.
The horrifying world of the streets is a terrible maw that eats up thousands of young lives in the subcontinent. Where torture, cruelty and inhuman and degrading treatment create a personal havoc that affects many young boys and girls.
These street children are amongst those 40 per cent of the South Asian chunk of the population that constitute a quarter of the children in the world and are socially and economically marginalized.
Street children have been found in the works of Mir Amman and Deputy Nazeer Ahmed. These children have been observed with a mixture of indifference and impassiveness, and still it is a laissez-faire of the governments of the two neighbouring countries. But in the perspective of promoting peace, the denial of rights is the last thing you need. And then, laws need implementation. Therefore, as a beginning, a few NGOs have collectively initiated a gesture of peace between the street kids of both the countries through cricket matches. These matches are a part of the moot.
The founder member of Jamghat organization told the story of Mohsin, a ten-year-old kid, who was exposed to every kind of drug used in the streets of the subcontinent. They sniff whitener or the glue solution, a hazardous drug, which the adults have had no exposure to. But Mohsin has been experiencing it for a long time. He is mature enough to talk about all kind of crime, abuses and drugs. Although the story is about India, the same holds true in Pakistan. Yet, we do not have organizations that pick kids from streets to rehabilitate them and save their lives.
Rajan Sharma is another victim of law enforcement agencies. He was born in the streets eleven years ago, and does not know about his parents. He worked at some hotel at Canaught Palace, Delhi. Some of his friends work at auto workshops, plumbing works and electric shops.
“I have never thought that playing in the park is a crime or prohibited for the poor. As I was playing with my friends, they picked me up and brutally beat me up for nothing. Then I was put in the lock-up for breaking the law. Fortunately, the activists from Jamghat saved me, but I will never forgive those cruel men who do not have any sympathy for children,” said Rajan with great confidence.
All this is very familiar in this part of the subcontinent as well. A rehabilitated 15-year-old Shaukat from the Swasti Masala Company India talks about the rise of child labour industry all over South Asia.
“We work from morning till evening in the most hazardous conditions, from grinding to the packing process of the spices, which contributes chronic diseases like TB, jaundice and liver/kidney disorders, and children’s eyes are constantly exposed to intense particles of the Masala.”
Most of these children do have homes, no matter how small or in whatever condition as well as family ties, no matter how offensive, frustrated and distant. In fact, their families are the main reason of their being out in the streets.
The issue has been addressed and reported many times in the electronic and print media to make the populace aware of the fact that the exploitation of the children at every extent must be removed. But our callous minds do not pause to think why these children are not in schools.
Dr Mahboob-ul-Haq once stated that this is ‘a lost childhood for eight cents a day’ and is estimated at around 34 million who live in dreadful poverty in Pakistan. International labour organizations, human rights commissions and other related agencies have quoted terrible figures of child labour and abuse now and then to draw the attention of the concerned authorities. And these figures are increasing by the passing day.
This peace moot according to Lal Qalandar, a 16-year-old lad from Mitthi Tharparkar, is a big step towards the friendship. He enjoyed the company of his counterparts. He said “We never thought of such closely-knitted ventures before this. It has always been the affair of adults or on the level of very high officials. I was extremely surprised to see the other side of the picture, which was full of excitement and colours. I remember the advise of my father that no matter whether you win or lose, you should be hospitable to your friends, because they are coming from far away and are thus precious to every one.”
Will the practical experience of the peace moot be able to give any identity to these neglected children of the streets and bring up serious and permanent implementations of legislative framework to respect their rights? Or is it just discussions and meetings? Both the governments in their historical background of cultural heritage must create a harmonious relationship for the upliftment of their street children for overall future developments.
The whole scene was echoing with chanting slogans for Indo-Pak friendship and strong future relations. An open-air made-up function seemed a ‘Dinner Special’ for the privileged rather than the very serious and touchy issue of Street Children. The concern of the people present looked rather superfluous and there didn’t seem any basic understanding of how these nameless children begin their days and end their nights, to live and survive on the minimal stuff.
