Dear Mr Satyarthi,

I am a member of the Board of Management of TRIVENI APARTMENTS WELFARE ASSOCIATION. It was my big privilege to attend this afternoon's programme organized by Bachpan Bachao Andolan in our colony and to hear  your very lucid speech .On returning , home I was pleased to read the brochure JANTA KE  DUS SAWAL AUR KAILASH SATYARTHI KE JAWAB. Although I am  a post-graduate in Commerce and a Law Graduate, I have always been  thinking that the entire talk about "child  labour" was mere tokenism by social activists who had no personal experience of ground realities.

I am 75 now and ,based on my own life experience , had come prepared to  the gathering to relate my story and ask a question. My father deserted us in 1939 when I was  just 7 years old. There was my mother, a younger brother, and two unmarried sisters.  My father had not left any wealth.  We were living in a rented house .The community people were good enough to provide stipend of Rs.7 per month to my mother. One can well imagine our plight. There was need for some additional money to grow up and help my mother feed ourselves. Much to my dislike, before and after my school hours, I had to do some odd jobs to earn a few more rupees. Thankfully, my schooling was supported by scholarship and as such it did not put any burden on my mother. My mother was earnestly hoping that a day would come when I would get some regular employment if  not as an office clerk then as a peon or something, although the latter option was very demeaning since we belonged to an upper caste respectable family. Unfortunately, her dream could not be realized. She took seriously ill and died on 5 September 1947  little before my matriculation exams which were to commence on 14 March 1947.What happened afterwards and how I managed  to pursue my life  is another story not relevant to the subject of child labour. In retrospect, I consider children of today are more fortunate than the children of my childhood.  The society was no more sensitive to poverty as is the situation today but there were no "activists" then like today. My question is "Would my mother have been hauled up and penalized for allowing to indulge in labour?" Of course, I was going to school but I was deprived of all the joys of a healthy childhood. The bitterness is ingrained in my sub-conscious even today but the moot question is who would have provided us at least one meal a day if I was not to work ! After reading your brochure mentioned above many of the cobwebs have cleared and I admire the way you have answered many of the lingering queries in my mind for which very grateful. There is definitely going to be success in your mission and I pray our young ones are allowed to enjoy their childhood. Many many  best wishes in your admirable endeavours.

Sincerely

B.N. Agrawal