A global pandemic has thrown the whole world off balance. Just like any other calamity, the most vulnerable sections of the social order are the ones hit the hardest. And the most vulnerable amongst the vulnerable are the children of our society.
Only time will tell the long term consequences of the COVID-19 bomb that has hit the youngest of our populations.
Here is an attempt by members of The Voices team to highlight the plight and challenges faced by the future of our species.
Lalee, a 7 years old toddler from Jharkhand, living in a brick-field with her
parents in West Bengal. She was in first standard when the first lock-down was enforced. She has been told that she is now in second standard, though she never touched her books after the lock-down. She is a first-generation learner, so she never had to worry about her parents forcing her to study. She plays with her mates in the brick-field all day.
She is HAPPY.
Subhash and Bikram, relaxing post-lunch.
Subhas, a fifth standard student of local upper-primary school, started doing odd jobs at the brickfield after school closed due to lockdown.
His younger brother Bikram, on the other hand, is a 3 years old toddler who does “nothing but irritates” Subhash when he is busy doing his job. However, they happily smiled together when approached for a photograph.
When asked “Don’t you miss your school days?” Subhash replied, “No, classes were boring, I used to go to school just for the mid-day meal there. Now I get the rice, potato and other ingredients from school without even attending classes, so it’s better.”
Dilip and Krishna study in class 6th and 7th respectively.
They’re from a farming family. The picture shows them on way to the fields where elders are waiting for them to bring their afternoon meal. Though they have smartphones and are capable of attending online classes, their school discontinued online classes as most of the students did not have the wherewithal for a smartphone or an internet connection.
So, they’re now helping their elders in the field and relying on tuition classes, which fortunately their family can afford.
When asked, “Are you and your studies affected by the lock-down?” Krishna replied, “Online class or tuition, nothing is working for us actually. We were much more comfortable with the pen-and-paper system.”
The childhood in a brick-field is a stark contrast to what childhood means even in some of the most underprivileged parts of the society. It is tougher, harsher and somehow even more unjust.
Children in the picture above used to be students of the local primary and upper-primary school. Due to the COVID-19 lock-down, the schools are closed, and so is their life outside these brick-fields.
The ones who were strong enough to lift some weight, joined the brick-field workforce with their parents and started earning. And those yet too feeble for physical labor, get listed as the labor force of the future .
Ideas such as ‘Child Labor’ and ‘Child Welfare’ are almost martian to this realm.
‘Soni’ used to go to school everyday before the COVID-19 lock-downs shut her school, now she works full time at the brick-field to help her family earn a living.
Soni and her friends ‘from classmates to colleagues’ .
All of Soni’s friends who used to be school mates before the pandemic struck, are now forced colleagues at the brick-farm.
Another little kid helping out in the family business.
A mother and her little child in masks on Kolkota railway station, exhibiting ‘the new normal’.
Many young boys have dropped out of schools to pursue livelihoods such as setting up independent fruit and vegetable shops or helping out in family run shops full time.
The eyes tell stories that a million words cannot.
Little kids in a public park in Jammu, eyes filled with hope, trying to bring back happiness in their lives while struggling through the global pandemic.
The global pandemic has plunged all of us into despair and gloom.
However, just an innocent smile is all it takes to restore hope.
Edited by: Raghujit S. Randhawa
1 Comment
Emotionally moving and inspiring shots of camera. Kudos to the team.