Care for them!

(Penned at the Mughalsarai Station on 9th Sep 2011)

I am at the Mughalsarai train station waiting to take my next train to go to Bangalore. And as I look at all the people at the station train of thoughts flood my mind.

A group of rag-picking children. As soon as a train arrived at the station they are ready to enter and collect the trash. Every child with its dirty sack and happy & anticipatory face.

A small girl, may be eight or nine years old, carrying a small child, walking from coach to coach, begging for money. Some chase her, some chide her and some give her some coins. And as she goes on to one coach, there is a family, a father, mother with their two kids. The man tells his wife to give some money to this girl. And as she takes out the money, their child, the bigger of the two curiously watches this begging girl.

Here is a girl carrying her little brother in her arms and begging for alms. And at the same given moment in time, another girl child of the same age happily enjoys the travel with her parents and her little brother. Doesn’t this girl (who is begging) too deserve such a happiness? Isn’t she worth to live such a life? When some lavish with all luxury and love, many other languish in loneliness and impoverishment.

There come two other children; one girl and the other seems to be her brother. At the first look I mistake them for rag pickers. But as they come closer I realize that they are the ones who earn their livelihood by dancing & doing tricks. From the girl’s neck hangs a dholak (an Indian drum) and a whip around the boy’s. I assume that even as the girl would play the drum, the boy would beat himself with the whip and the watchers would throw some money at these kids, some amused at their act, some feeling pity and almost none would think and act for such kids and that includes me. And to add, some like me would write, while some would read and appreciate the writing.

All around us are millions of such children who are hurting within, while we watch, watch and watch.

At the Mughalsarai station, everywhere are boards that read ‘Clean Station’. We are concerned about keeping our stations clean, but not concerned about all these children roaming around in these stations. May be some socially concerned Station Master would bring out a stricter rule to keep the station even cleaner, by chasing away these children, all the while not even giving a slightest thought to the plight of such children.

How degraded man could be? Here is an old woman sleeping on the floor of the station with her daughter, both clad in dirty clothes. And a man passes by, not even considering them as living things, spats just near them! Does not every human life has value? While people kill innocent unborn babies how will they even value another human being? OR When they do not value such an elderly person, how will they value the unborn?

Need more compassion homes that will care for such children.

Need more government projects and incorrupt officials to care for such children.

Need more people who will dare to make a difference in the lives of all such children whom they meet and live among.

Man, do not forget that once you too were a child and you needed someone to take care of you. You too were weak, feeble and dirty and needed someone to care for you. Do not despise the little children.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 18:10 (ESV)

Some tips to care for poor children:

1. Support organizations that care for such children

2. As a fellowship or team make regular visits to nearby slums and take free tuitions and also play with them (need to build good & trusting relationships with the elders too)

3. Adopt such children as individuals or teams and pay for their school fee & food; buy dresses and toys and sports items

4. Arrange for regular medical check ups for those children

5. Include them in your prayers and fellowships

6. Celebrate their birthdays in their places

7. Take the children for excursions

8. Include them in your birthday parties and celebrations at home

 

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