The girl hails from a poor family from a northern state of the country and was sent by her widow mother to work as a baby-sitter to a couple also hailing from north but living in Bangalore, both working as techies in a IT major. She ended up working as a full time maid, working 18 -19 hours a day - baby-sitting, washing clothes, cooking food and doing other household chores. She was subjected to ill-treatment everyday and the little kid took all of that till that 'day' when she escaped fearing for her life and took refuge in a neighbour's home who arranged her to be sent to the custody of a child home. Her only mistake was that she ate a spoonful of ice cream from the fridge during the day, that the couple found out after watching the CCTV footage. Yes! the house is fitted with a CCTV and the couple watch this footage everyday to keep a hawk's eye on the poor girl.
Bangalore is reeling under heat this summer and craving for something cold to eat or drink is heavy. While we enjoy ice creams, soft drinks and mock tails, the kid had to almost pay for it with her life! One of the family members of the accused said in defense that the egg shells were thrust in her mouth to make her understand that eggs were one of the ingredients in the ice cream!
Can there be more blatant insensitive and barbaric response?
But this is not only her story. Hundreds of kids from poor states in India work as migrant labours, as maids and servants in different parts of the country - sometimes at construction sites, or at tea stalls or at plush homes. They are treated no better than street dogs and their childhood buried under abuse, assault and body-breaking physical labour.
Who stands up for these kids who are hailed as country's future but have no future of their own. Forsaken by their parents and demonized by their 'masters', their present is a curse and future is dark! Interestingly the accused couple are yet to be arrested by the police.
India needs jobs not the election freebies, so that these jobs could generate income and ensure a decent livelihoods for millions of Indians; and so that these kids do not have to toil, sweat and bleed.
As India votes for its next government will anyone - voter or the politician stand up and do something for securing their childhood and their future.
Will anyone?
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