64 year Old Baby
What is true for me cannot be true for my father, what is true for my father cannot be true for his father. Several factors, not just 1, 2, 3 – several factors, But, something which is true for an 8 year old child IS true for a 64 year old man. What is that? That is forced labor. As child labor forces small child to work for his survival, it is similarly painful to see 64 year old man working for his existence. Is his bones not lacking calcium, can a 64 year old man really handle stress of 6 consecutive bricks on his head. The answer is no, and hence he too, is a 64 year old baby, doing labor equivalently painful and unjustified like child labor.
I can see whole city being spaded out to set-up an underground transmission line for the ease of electrical supply, applause to government that, not even a single child is seen working on the streets for the labor but, early my eyes see those tired, old and poor eyes of old men working within the underground construction. The winter was chilling cold and what they had on their body was truly unbelievable. Just a kurta and an innerwear and warm slacks and the traditional dhoti. But I never felt these many clothes will help him out.
3 sections under Indian Constitution, over 180 articles to support and lakhs of rupees are been spent on Governmental panel to save child labor, but what justice does 64 year old man get, isn’t he inefficient. Ain’t his bones lacking calcium? Is he made to work at the stage of life where he should enjoy with his family? Who am I to think about all this anyway.
But somewhere it pinches eye to see the other side of the wrinkled eyes and white hair almost all parts of body, still working at this stage. Many of these old guys answer to this question is that there child supports them no more. Child played in my arms, child took all the love, child was given money and then he instantly, honestly did what a selfish child always does, left the parent and took away rest of the money. To let the parent live in whatever condition they can. They pull rickshaw, they dig, they spade, they even stand in gutters for hours cleaning them at the age of 64 !!
Pension scheme, Rojgaar Yojna et al all come to girth without upgradation or futuristic logic to these poor men. Every hospital is involved in CSR about, Old clinic, geriatric clinic to help out old age. Why can’t our mighty government think about them a little bit. They can help out with the food and basic amenities.It’s just for a reason of providing this stage a sense of solitude happiness the baby is 64 year old it really can’t work at this stage.
