Everyone encounters scores of children in a day at traffic signals who seek charity, try to clean your vehicle glasses, sell dusters, flowers etc. We take it as a routine of life, conveniently ignoring the fact that these millions of children spread all over the country are contributing to build future of our nation.
It adds to the disgust to learn that our police do not even spare these children and collect 'bhatta' from them invariably. These children include those displaced or runaways from homes and trapped by mafias and as such work for their "employer". These children are often pushed to the mafias responsible for street crimes and drugs. So what kind of future do we really anticipate?
Governments of all kinds, politicians belonging to any party, religious leaders of any sect, businessmen, common men have no time in the world to think about them. I can recall that only the famous pop star Shehzad Rai planned to establish schools for such children in interior Sindh (perhaps in Tando Adam). His individual efforts have placed him in high esteem at least for me. However, it is a fact that the situation requires organised efforts at NGOs and Government levels.
I am less worried about the children called "chotay" working at tea stalls and auto workshops as they are less inclined towards begging or crimes. Many of them may become good mechanics in future and may own their business when they are grown up. There are many living examples like that. However, the category of the children which I described first is most vulnerable to individual and collective disaster.
Free evening schools for such children may be a first essential step. But to free these children from the clutches of the contractors (mafias) is a greater challenge. The federal, provincial and local Governments and NGOs must seriously think about the remedial actions which may help to visualise a relatively bright future for these unfortunate children.