I am Moin Khan Speaking

I had no voice when I was amongst you
Let me speak at least a bit now
Let me speak....
Let me speak my heart out...
Let me speak at least for the 
Millions of mute Moins still down there.

When I was just the age of those
Tiny tots in your homes
Who lie curled up in their beds
Watching Tom and Jerry...
When I should have been
Walking to school happily...
When I was just not even able to know
What was really happening to me...
I was thrown away...

I was thrown away to labour
I was thrown away to separation from my parents
I was thrown away to playless days
I was thrown away to sleepless nights
I was thrown away to lonely, silent sobs
I was thrown away to painful, tiring jobs
I was thrown away to bleeding hands
Rotting filth
Dingy corners
Shuddering looks
Broken limbs
Starvation
Torture
And death.

I am told it was all because of poverty
I find it is also because of some insensitivity
Some callousness
Some complacency...
Please...I beg of you, please...
Please take some time out to think about them...
Please take some time out to save those little ones...
I am now no more...
Millions have thus gone before....
Please don’t weep for us...
Just care to care a bit for them 
Those poor ones over there
Living a dead life
Unwanted by death too...

[Response to the evil of Child Labour triggered by a recent piece of pathetic News: In today's India, Moin, aged 10, beaten to death by employer]

 




Author: Kannan Gopinathan
India