His round eyes haunt me today , following me around when I walk in the evening. I asked him his name , because I feel by knowing a person's name one wins them over ,chotu comes later to me.
He is Raj Kumar , aged 12 years from Karnal sent to Punjab to eke out a living.He works on my farm , his job as a novice is to fire small pellets of gunpowder to stave off the birds who come and eat the ripening ears of maize. It is done with the use of an indigenous crude gun used by all farmers . Am I guilty of depriving this young child who is weak, thin and should be studying , living his childhood not worried about dihaari/daily wages , and how much money he can send back home to his parents? This debt cycle which engulfs them , passes on from generation to the next and a life time is gone in paying of the interest , forget the principal amount.
Did I appease my guilt by giving him two pieces of besan , thinking that would absolve me of the moral guilt? It pricks the conscious . Is he better off here, where he gets three square meals and as much as he can eat rice with deal from the langar hall or back home with his parents receiving love affection but maybe one square meal a day?
Where does one equalize ? This is one of those rare moments where I want to ask God , why?I don't see the logic , the grandiose plan in this.
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