Quite the irony

We all seem to have 'learnt' at school how bad child labor is and how it poses a danger to children who have a right to live a decent and innocent life. But school lessons are just school lessons it seems, for the malice of child labor is as widely present as anything! Not that we alone can do much, but surely our minute efforts can make a difference. For instance, we can take a stand against employing  kids for our household chores. I'm sure there must be a horde of munnis and chotus in our typical Indian households. They can't help it because either they are forced into the work by their poor parents who seek additional sources of income or because they've seen enough problems at a young age to last a lifetime and they get into work.

This problem took a greater hold on me when I recently witnessed an example of young kids put to work.
I was on my way to college and while you've got a mere eight station distance to your destination, you can't do much except notice other people and during one of my people-noticing times, I saw a small group entering the metro- a lady holding a 2 and a half year old child, another woman(i guess her mother or m-i-l) and a small stooped figure. I could not quite make out the figure in ragged clothes and on closer examination saw that she was a girl, hardly eight or nine, bent with the weight of numerous shopping bags that weighed her down and that contained expensive stuff, which she was never destined to own, but carry, yes. A sad but true thing. What made me downright outrageous was how the lady pushed her impatiently through the crowd, barely noticing the impression that was being made on the girl's neck by one of the bags. And, how could anyone that seemed to be educated enough to know child labor is a crime, could go on about having a kid do the work of an adult , maybe more than that, while she cradled her baby lovingly and protecting her from the crowd.
Really, what an irony that is!

Real Tragedy

The Air India Express airplane that crashed in the treacherous Mangalore Airport is nothing short of a real tragedy..... one that has probably devastated so many families and once again brought light to the issue of Airlines. No doubt it has been a blunder on the part of those who passed the Airport site and construction as 'in proper order'..... might even be the fault of the ATC or the pilots themselves, but does it really matter now? After so much of personal loss, the devastated condition of those who probably were coming from an enjoyable holiday or workers keen on getting home, what matters is that such a horrible accident never happens again. Instead of finding out a scapegoat, they should concentrate on making the airport a safe haven for the flying bodies. Well, at least that's what I believe in!

getting late!!!

late, more late, even more late...............that's what seems to happen when we move even 5 minutes late! obstacles seem to sprout up at every turn you take, making your progress even slower.... you're left with that feeling of helplessness as if you're stretching out your hand to make a grab but the thing just will be out of your reach! I bet most people must have experienced this and I'm not new to this. For instance, I NEVER have been able to take the metro I intend to take and it will surely be an accomplishment once I'm able to do so.