This is the man who declared that children are his religion. As he walks in, his gait is devoid of any excitement that his words and works carry. Though one can see a tinge of exhaustion on the face as he takes his seat, it is difficult to ignore his child-like smile.
The children who were working in a brick kiln in North India never knew there was a world outside until one day this man walked into their life. “I reached there along with Bachpan Bachao Andolan activists. Twenty-seven families were working in the kiln as slaves for years. Children were born there, brought up there and when they are big enough to carry bricks they start working there. For the meager pay given at the end of every week they work 16 hours a day. They didn't know there was a world outside and how other people lived. They didn't know how to read and write. They were living the life of slaves there. When I told them you are free now, they stared at me, as if they didn't know the meaning of the words.
They agreed to get into the vehicle only when we told them that we would give them enough food and water. One girl was lying on the ground curled up. When we tried to pick her up we came to know that she had high fever. Unable to even cry, she mumbled for help through their trembling lips.
Her name was Gulabo. Though we took her to the hospital she didn't survive. She fell ill because her lungs were reeling under the continuous assault of toxic fumes in the kiln since her birth.
Satyarthi was in tears when Gulabo's father told him that he became a slave because he couldn't read or write. "I wouldn't have lost my child," the man cried.
The owner of the kiln had kept them as slaves for the past 17 years. Every year they will be asked to put their thumb impression on a contract. Since no one had enough education to read and write they didn't know what was written in the contract.
From the words of Gulabo's father, Satyarthi understood that the first step towards ending slavery and poverty should begin with education.
Yes, child labor is wrong and illegal. When he said this, the usual smile on his face was not there. Instead, his face and words were filled with anger, furious over the cruelty shown towards children.
Childhood memory
"I was born in an ordinary family in the Vidisha town of Madhya Pradesh. I was a shy boy, who always clings to his mother. His father Ram Prasad Sharma was a police constable. A dedicated officer. He had to probe a theft that happened in our village. Since the accused were close to the higher-ups in society there was pressure on my father to side with them. My father didn't budge. Due to corrupt politicians and officers, he became a scapegoat, and lost his job," he said.
"We were five siblings -- three elder brothers and a sister. Since our father died early on, mother, Chironji Devi, took care of us. She was a very kind-hearted woman. Villagers used to come seeking my mother's help. Even though it was difficult for her to take care of our studies and household expenses, she never sent them back unhappy. She used to lead a very simple life. I studied at Vidisha government school," Satyarthi said.
"An incident on the first day of school was the reason I chose to work for children. My father took me to the school. I had new clothes and bag and I was happy going the school. But, before the school entrance, I saw a child fixing slippers on the roadside. He would have been my age. I asked my father why that child was not going to school. My father told me he is from a poor family. They needed his earnings to make ends meet. It was something new to me. Later, most of my fellow students dropped out and started going to work by the time they were 11. Since they didn't have enough resources to pay for books and school fees, they didn't have any other option. All these incidents left a mark on my mind, and influenced my later work," he said.
A child whom I can't forget in life
"I remember a boy we rescued. He was kidnapped from the village when he was six years old. We rescued him and other boys working in an industrial unit. His name was Halu. We used to enroll all the rescued students in school. Since Halu was bright, he got admission in class 4. He topped his class. He used to help other students too. During that time, he was chosen to accompany me to Washington DC. It was the book release ceremony of Robert F. Kennedy's daughter Kerry Kennedy. The book was released by the then US president Bill Clinton. After the function, Halu also got a chance to speak to the US president."
He told the president, "You are the strongest and powerful ruler I have ever seen. What can you do for children like me." "Our government is helping children's organizations," the president replied. "But, what will you do if you are not the US president, Halu asked, he said."
"Halu's poser was an inspiration for the US president. Soon, the US government released US$ 6 million for the education and well-being of children rescued from child labor. Now, this amount has been increased. The newspapers that day carried stories about a citizen from the lowest strata of society influencing the first person of a super power. It gave me great happiness. Even a child can influence a great person."
Life after Nobel Prize
Did your work get more acceptance after you won the Nobel Prize? “Before I won the prize, I needed to explain a lot about my work. This has changed. "I could speak to US president Barack Obama, prime ministers of several countries and the UN secretary-general about our organization and its activities. Besides, I had been working to get laws introduced against child labor. The present government has done that," Satyarthi said.
Did the theft of Nobel Prize hurt you?
The smile came before the answer. "Never, when there was a break-in at our home we were in Panama attending a party thrown by the president and the vice-president. Suddenly, there were a lot of phone calls. When I knew what happened I didn't panic. Nor did I get involved in the case. My office and police were looking for it. Nobel Prize itself is an honor. Nobody can take that honor from me. The citation should be the property of a museum. So, when I got it back, I was happy," he said.
Do you like Kerala?
Kerala and Kashmir are the two paradises of our country. Kerala also lays a lot of emphasis on children's education and has low prevalence of child labor. But 20,000 children have gone missing from the same Kerala. Where did they disappear? Are child traffickers behind their disappearance? Or is it someone else, he asks.
Children these days are attracted by social media. What should we do to save them from its pitfalls?
We should provide children a better climate and safer environment to grow. Today, children are confined to lonely houses and flats. They are not getting opportunities to play together, or listen to stories. I have enjoyed my childhood.
There should be curbs on their social media usage. But, parents, instead of being strict, should get involved with the children. Children should also be told about the changes that will happen in the bodies. They shouldn't get to know this from books for some other person. Children should also be taught about society and the various types of exploitation prevailing in society. If parents and children talk to each other more often there will be fewer problems. Governments, schools and other organizations should also join hands to stop the exploitation of children.
I keep telling the youth, that we are living in a 3D age. Televisions and smartphones have all been transformed into 3D. Now we have to transform ourselves into 3D. The 3Ds that we should have are -- Dream, dream for the better, Discover, discover the talent within everybody, and Do, don't be lazy and start working for what you believe in from this very moment
How did Kailash Sharma become Kailash Satyarthi?
It was after my fight against casteism that I decided to drop my caste and use a term that means the one who is in search of truth. My mother cried when she came to know that I quit my job as a teacher in an engineering college to help poor children. But I listened to my heart. Now, since the past 30 years, I have traveled across the country and rescued more than 85,000 children from child labor. I started off with collecting old books for children. Then came the organization Bachpan Bachao Andolan which fought for their rights. We also succeeded in encouraging companies to use GoodWeave marks that denote that children were not used in making the product.
Family is his power. Wife Sumeda, son, daughter, and other relatives are with him in his work.
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