I am writing about child labour again!!! Because that is one thing, the sight of which is so heart-wrenching!
Yesterday, while my mom and I were returning home after a bit of shopping, we were accosted by a little kid selling flowers. He must be barely 5 or 6 years old, but is being made to sell flowers by his grandmother!
Out of sheer pity, my mom decided to get a couple of mozhams of jasmine from him, and asked the price. He quoted 10 rupees for the 2 mozhams. My mom asked him to reduce the price a little, as his hands were very tiny, and so his measurement of a mozham of flowers will be roughly equal to only half the actual measurement of one mozham. Immediately the little boy agreed to give the 2 mozhams for just 5 rupees, afraid that if he didnt agree, he might lose the customer!
My heart went out to him, and I actually wanted to give that boy a few extra rupees, because he was so young, so innocent, without any cunning ideas about making profit..! He is supposed to be at school, learning how to add values, subtract losses, multiply profits... but instead he stands at a corner of one of the busiest roads in Chennai and does exactly as he is instructed by his grandmother, fearful of her rebuke if he did otherwise!
We find so many children like this everyday... it is time more effective laws and rules are in place in order to ensure the abolition of any form of child labour and also provide compulsory primary education to every child!
