Conversations With a Book Seller

It was around eight in night when we were crossing the road opposite Haji Ali Dargaah and saw a boy walking with vengeance at each car with a bunch of novels. He was asking each passenger in the car if they will buy the books, with lots of courtesy. We felt pity for him. We asked him his name. By mistake, we asked him in English. However, we were stupefied when he replied in English that his name was Ramesh*. We stared at him with so many question and without seeking his permission to ask, we started bombarding on him with our questions.

How old are you? Why are you selling novels here?

He replied he was fifteen years old and sold books to pass his time. We were completely baffled by his answer. We then asked, “what about your parents? Don’t they stop you?”

He looked down and replied, “my dad left us when I was born. My mom is here. She is the only person to feed me and take care of me. She stops me every day but what to do? I am fond of this place. I was here since I was five years old.” We were surprised when he answered two of our general knowledge questions – Who is the prime minister of India and What are human rights and child rights? We didn’t expect he would know these answers.

The signal stopped but he was continuously talking to us .Then we asked him an important question, “What does responsibility means to you?” He answered us in just one word, “my mom. She is everything to me and I love her.” We both were having a good conversation then suddenly Shahid asked, “what do you want in your life?” He replied, “I want my mom always to be happy and if I would have some siblings.” So we asked why does he wants siblings. He told, “I would have good time pass with them .so I would not come here.”

After this conversation we were left with many questions. Such as is time pass his excuse or reality? Or because he had no siblings and so he spent his time at the signal to be with his childhood friends? One day we will come to answer this question, hopefully.

* The real name of the child is not disclosed.

Image Source: http://hajialidargah.in/

Interviewed along with my friend, Shahid.

Why are we doing this?

Being part of Service Learning Program (SLP), we get to understand various social problems and our roles and responsibility towards solving them. As we discussed Child Labour in one of the sessions, I realized this was one of the big problems in my community. I could relate to it because even I had faced it in some form. However, I could never understand who is responsible for it?

My summer internship at SLP was an opportunity for to find an answer to my question. I worked with Pratham Council of Vulnerable Children (PCVC) which works for the children who are working in areas such as Leather factories and streets. These children were under 14 years of age. During my work with PCVC, I helped the team to rescue children and give them better education. My role in the internship was to do the surveys and talk to those children. While talking to them, I found the external answer to my question – who is responsible for child labour? Of many things, I realized the important reasons were the condition of children, their background and poverty. But there was something more to it. I had to find that too.

After completing my internship for a month, I thought the key to my main question is still missing. I started expanding my question. First, I thought about myself. Why was I engaged in child labour? Who is responsible for it? When I asked these questions, I started understanding more. I realized the key was with me and I was searching in others’ pocket. I realized I worked because I thought it was my responsibility to take care of my family. But then I thought, what is the responsibility of the guardians of children who work? I questioned if whatever I was doing will help me grow in future? What does the word “responsibility” mean? Is working in the age of fourteen my responsibility? What is my responsibility to my family? What is my responsibility to my life? Who will answer these questions?

Through our project, I and my friend Akash Gaikwad are trying to find these answers. The main purpose of our project is to create awareness about the condition of children who are working, their thoughts and views on their condition and understand who is responsible for what happens to these children in our society.

Who are we?

Hi, my name is Akash. Akash Ahire. I am sixteen and pursuing my junior college in commerce. I am part of Akanksha Foundation’s Service Learning Program (SLP). I am currently in the 8^th batch of the program. Last month I interned with Pratham Council of Vulnerable Children (PCVC), an organization that works for children in labour. My experiences during my internship motivated me to pursue my self-project, which is an action-based project we have to undertake in SLP, in this subject. I plan to make an educational documentary to create awareness about this issue in my city in order to seek more support from you all, the readers and your friends, for the children stuck in labour.

Hello! I am Akash too! Akash Gaikwad. I am as old as Akash and pursuing similar education. I interned with Pratham IGNOU Community College in the month of May to understand the status of quality education in my country. I have joined Akash to do my self-project. This is an opportunity for me to understand this issue, my own self and my role in the future.

In this blog we hope to publish some of the stories of children to spread awareness about our responsibility. We hope you all will support us in this cause.