Living by Gods

The story of Avinash Nayak is quite unique. He is only 12, but he knows how to make a living. He is making a living in the name of gods. He can be spotted at one or another street corner in Kolkata’s busy street. To tools of his business, if we may call it so, are tiny pieces of chalk and charcoal, with which he draws the pictures of religious leaders and symbols. He has more than enough number of people to admire his art, as he makes for his ‘canvas’ one or other busy street corner, where more number of people pass by. And anyone who may pass by his ‘masterpieces’ is sure to stop for a while to take a glimpse of the combination of gods and religious symbols he draws so meticulously on the floor.

But Avinash is only 12, and he does not hesitate to declare that he had never been to school. However on the top of his drawing he does write artistically ‘God Jesus, Help me’. One may wonder if the boy understands what he writes. Most probably he does not know the meaning of these words; who knows he may not even be aware that he is invoking the name of a ‘Son of God’, or God Jesus, who came to proclaim good news to the poor. It does not require any proof to know that Avinash is poor, and very poor, given that he wears only a dirty vest and short pants, and does not care to keep his hair neat and tidy. Since he lives in a slum with his parents, he cannot be any better, one might think.

There is something strange about Avinash, who does not smile, and his face is as serious as that of any angry young man. Even when he speaks to anyone who might ask him his name and whereabouts, he answers them without even looking at their face. There is an unknown fear, preventing him to look at the face of the people standing around his art work with much enthusiasm and wonder, and seems to show himself as a typical business man, who is only interested in completing his drawing, so that that might bring him more money, through the generosity of the bystanders.

Whom do we blame for the plight of this lad? His parents, who make use of this ‘child’ [according to Unesco, anyone who is below the age of 13 is considered a child], and force him to earn a living to support the family. It is true, the father of Avinash, who also does drawings on street corners of Kolkata might not earn as much as his son, given the fact that there would be more people who would willingly donate a few rupees to a child-artist than a middle-aged man. But in the meantime, one may justly ask, who is to be blamed for this situation. We do not know if Avinash likes this way of earning a living; and even if he likes it, is this justifiable to force him to work at the age, he should be attending classes in a school? You ask him, why he did not attend schooling, he is mum!

Often in life, we are left with no alternatives; we may have only one way, with all the other paths closed. Even if one desires dearly, there might be no way. Should God be so cruel with Avinash, that his childhood is robbed from him, and he is lifted away from a normal childhood, which is life-promoting and in conformity with human dignity. Or is the fate of Avinash human made, the handiwork of a handful of selfish, money-minded, greedy people? It may be hard for us to know who actually is to be blamed, but we cannot shirk away our responsibility. Even if there is one child on earth who is deprived of its childhood, the whole humanity can be held responsible for it, and no one, however holy and pious, can ever be left out!
Kolkata Airport