Those residing on the front side of Boulevard and Espacia, facing the 100/104/107 crossing, may have heard a mild sound of a dhol. It begins at around 8 AM and remains there till late evening. These are children doing acrobatic exercises at the crossing!
The kids wait for the traffic signal to turn red and start their acrobatics as soon as the light flashes red. When they finish, they go up to the cars to ask for money in the short span of time till the signal is still red.
This is these children’s fate. It is dangerous as the traffic on these roads is not disciplined. A fatal accident is quite possible. The traffic constable at the crossing is busy regulating the traffic and so, has to ignore the acrobats.
In the evening, where there is a good crowd in the street behind Hajipur, the kids usually also carry out the act of walking the tightrope to earn more money. I tried to find them to speak with them recently, but it seems that because of the heat, they are not here for a few days.
We, the people of the pre-cell phone era have seen such Kalanders coming to our colonies with a bear/ snakes/ monkeys and other magic tricks. We would gather around them to see and enjoy these events. Now, the animal lovers have been able to stop the use of animals but humans…!
These 10-year-olds do these tricks on the roads or around the crowded lanes/ places defying all laws protecting child labour. They take risks we would never let our own children take. All to make ends meet and earn just two meals.
The kids can be hit by a vehicle, or they may fall from the rope they are on. Their bodies are elastic and slim. Thus, the gymnastic and acrobatic activities they do are good. Can they be taken in by sports academies and imparted training so that they may enter mainstream sports?
These children can then participate in acrobatic/ gymnastic events and make their future bright. Who knows, among them, one can bring honour to India in international sports too?! At the least, it will help to extract them from the clutches of extreme poverty they are currently experiencing.
