HOMELESS CHILDREN

WITH ACCELERATION IN ECONOMIC GROWTH, INDIA HAS BECOME ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. THIS HAS CREATED A RIFT BETWEEN POOR AND RICH; 22 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION LIVES BELOW THE INCOME POVERTY LINE. DUE TO UNEMPLOYMENT, INCREASING RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION, ATTRACTION OF CITY LIFE AND A LACK OF POLITICAL WILL INDIA NOW HAS ONE LARGEST NUMBER OF CHILD LABORERS IN THE WORLD. STREET CHILDREN ARE SUBJECT TO MALNUTRITION, HUNGER, HEALTH PROBLEMS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, THEFT, HARASSMENT BY THE CITY POLICE AND RAILWAY AUTHORITIES, AS WELL AS PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ABUSE. THOUGH GOVERNMENT OF INDIA HAS TAKEN SOME CORRECTIVE MEASURES AND DECLARED CHILD LABOR AS ILLEGAL.THIS CHILD WAS PICKED UP FROM THE STREETS BY THE GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION AS A MAL-NOURISH HOMELESS CHILD.
MANY WERE ENSNARED IN DRUGS, GANGS, AND PROSTITUTION.MANY BOYS WHO WERE ONCE DYING ON THE STREETS OF MUMBAI UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS HAVE BEEN FOUND REHABILITATED. DRUG ADDICTED STREET CHILDREN USING THE FIRST CLASS LOCAL LADIES TRAIN COMPARTMENT AS THEIR SHELTER FOR REST.NONE OF THE RAILWAY POLICE AROUND TO SHOO... THEM AWAY FROM THE TRAIN.THIS KID REFUSED TO TEL IS NAME BUT CALLED HIMSELF AS MOUGLI. HE SAID EVERY EVENING I VISIT THE GARDEN A I ENJOY PLAYING ON SLIDES.BUT MY OWNER DOESNT ALLOW ME TO GO SO IN THE NAME OF BEGGING I VISIT A NEARBY GARDEN.
ON AUGUST 20, 2006 AFTERNOON WE GOT THE NEWS THAT TITUS & IRFAN TWO INMATES OF AN ORPHANAGE ARE BATTLING FOR THEIR LIVES AT HARKISANDAS HOSPITAL AFTER THEY JUMPED FROM THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE REHABILITATION CENTER ON SUNDAY, APPARENTLY IN AN EFFORT TO ESCAPE. SUNIL, SANDEEP, AKSHAY & PRAKASH THEIR INMATES SAID REGULARLY THEY WERE BEATEN UP BY WARDEN & THE AUTHORITIES PLAYED LOUD MUSIC SO THAT THE NEAR BY RESIDENTS WOULD NOT HEAR THE SCREAMS. THERE WAS A MAJOR CHAOS AMONG THESE KIDS.
THE CHILDREN WHO ARE FORCED TO BEG ARE USUALLY YOUNG RUNAWAYS, WHO HAVE LEFT HOME DUE TO VARIOUS REASONS SUCH AS HARSH TREATMENT, ABUSE, BROKEN FAMILIES AND POVERTY. IN ADDITION TO THESE ARE ABANDONED AND DESTITUTE ORPHANS WHO HAVE NO PLACE OF REFUGE.SO THEY STAY ON THE STREETS AND WHEN THE SUMMER TEMPERATURES ARE HIGH AS 34 DEGREE CELCIUS ONE CAN OFTEN SEE THESE KIDS HAVING DIP IN THE SACRED WATERS OF BANGANGA.