During my second visit to the construction venue ( Nitc mega hostel construction ) I got a deeper insight into the world of these laborers working day and night to make sure that their family living 2000 miles away to get just enough loafs of bread at the end of day . Today I met these two guys from W.B. once again telling me their story.
Abdul-he is just 18 , and when listening gave me the impression that world’s all innocence has fallen upon his face . He seemed reluctant to answer my questions and open himself initially and even till the end. It was his friend who first opened his mouth to deliver his story which broke the doors of shyness within him.
After asking him almost 5 times that he really didn’t want to continue his studies he expels the truth and begins with his short story yet the most touching. He had come here around 2 months ago soon after he left his studies where he as a class 11th student. He said neither course he found too difficult nor the interest had vanished . He just couldn’t continue study on the expense of his family striving for even 2 meals for a day. In his family of 10 members his father is a sole earner who manages somehow 8000rs. For person income of the family comes out to be 800rs per month or 27 rupees per day. Abdul said all this made him affirm his decision of leaving the school and he came here. For the next two months working here he will get around 15000rs . On asking what would he do with the earned money he said he would give all his money to his father . And then I realized the already existing shallowness of my mind , thoughts and This boy of the same age looking way innocent has hidden so many dreams , truth , love , pain all just because he born from a father who earns 8000rs per month .
And then I tried speaking to few others as well. Many expressed reluctance towards further conversation. One of the boy I tried talking to , suddenly intervened by some upper level staffs broking at him outrageously saying how dared he talking at the expense of work. He seemed almost frightened by this adding more grief to his dull , tired , hopeless , dreamless , face .Then I explored few new areas here , just behind the main construction lied the shelter of these thousands of human resources. It was almost resembling a typical slum of some big city.
Though the majority of the workers here were getting decent daily meals but the thing which perceived to me as a real problem was the stagnancy in the upliftment of their earnings , thoughts , education , living standard and so many . Most of these young workers had either run away from home for they couldn’t see the conditions of their family or the married generation who had come here to feed his sons and wife a daily meal. Rarely money remain for them to spend on quality education. Most of them end up only providing some formal education till 10th or 12th from some local unrecognized schools which has got complete zero hope in today’s world. Which leads to the same sole option remaining for their adjacent generations either become a worker here leaving education , families for months sometimes even years.
Perhaps these the reality of those section of people who actually don’t qualify the criterion for extreme poverty then what about those another 35 crores of people living on less then 30rs per day.
Lets think …..
THE BRIDGE 