What Do I Do?

“Here, hold my hand” the father told his little daughter as they began their journey from home. Once on the railway station, the father went to the inquiry booth. Meanwhile, the young girl was observing a beggar spreading a plastic sheet on the floor, he cleaned it with a newspaper and laid down on it. She was amused seeing the beggar make his bed as if he was going to have a sound sleep on it.

          Her father’s hand moved her further and she saw a policeman hitting another beggar on his leg with a lathi because the latter was sleeping on the platform. “Where else will that poor man go?” she thought. Shocked, she turned to her father for an answer. He didn’t have any, he pretended as if he didn’t see anything. But his eyes appeared to be telling “you still have a lot to see in this world, my child”.

          She forgot the incidence in her excitement for the train journey. As they waited for the train, she heard a man in rags shouting “Shiva”, gesturing towards her father. “But your name is not Shiva” the little one argued. “Yeah, he addresses me by my shop’s name”,came the answer. Still confused, she asked “But how do you know him?”. Calming down her curiosity, father replied “He was a rickshaw puller. Now he has no strength left. So he begs and sometimes asks me to give him a rupee or two”. She felt bad, her eyes were clouded with sadness.

            A man who once lead a dignified life now had to beg and sleep on a railway platform. What about his conscience, his self respect? All gone just to have a meal! A ray of hope and she asked “but they are setting up so many industries and factories, what use are they if people still have to live like this. Shouldn’t they be given some work”. Without waiting for an answer, she continued “but you say he has no strength left. So they won’t hire him. Right?”. The father nodded, disturbed that he had no answer.

                In the next moment, he saw tears dropping down the child’s eyes. Sobbing, she said “ I see no one cares for them. But what do I do daddy?” The only answer she got was a hug that was helpless as she felt.