There is a parable in the Bible told by Jesus about a rich man and a poor man called Lazurus who lived by his gate (Luke 16.19-31). Lazarus survived by eating the scraps falling from the rich man's table and his main company were the stray dogs who licked his sores. Even though nobody cared about Lazarus in his earthly life, God was watching from above and brought him to heaven when he died. The rich man however was condemned to Hell, not for murdering, stealing or being rich but because he did not give any regard to the poor man at his doorstep. In short he was apathetic the plight of his neighbor.
I relate this story now because I am a sad witness and indirectly part of this story in real life in at my work place in Noida near Delhi. The various sectors of Noida house the offices of some of the biggest and reputable brands in Indian corporate scenario both Indian and foreign. Most young Indian graduates would be proud to work in the companies there with their fat pay cheques and even fatter fringe benefits, not to mention the affluent work environments.However when one steps outside the high rises and look around the scenario changes to one of poverty and squalor. Be it the desperate cycle rickshaw drivers who implore passerby's to board them, or be it the poor family who sell rotis at the office entrances for a living or the sick and disabled beggars who line the pavement.
But the fact that is most painful is the plight of street children who beg in the streets from people like me or pick rags. I have witnessed little girls squatting among the rags they picked up on the pavement and sometimes even fighting with each other over a little food. I have seen little boys with a big sacks of refuse on their backs walking without a care in the world. And everyday as I come out of the train station a boy and a girl stand at the entrance holding out their begging bowl.There is nobody to take care of them except themselves from the stray dogs and other manly predators that abound in the streets. I have found that smaller children tend to group around bigger children. Some of them do have families who live on the pavement and tend to use the children as a source of income. In the short visual survey I did during my walk to and from the station to my office I found no less than 15 boys and girls in the age group 5 to 15 living like this in just 3 streets. At this point of time I do not feel much optimism about their futures. Many of these children will probably die young on the streets, a lucky few might get rescued to an orphanage and the rest will probably end up in the hands of evil men who will exploit them inhumanely.
I have seen beggars, rag pickers both child and adult before but never have I seen so many right at the doorstep of multi million dollar company offices. I know that companies are not charities and they have their own "Corporate social responsibility (CSR)" commitments in save the tiger, plant a tree and educate the girl child campaigns.But companies are still run by people. So I fail to understand how we manage to be blind to the 'Little Lazarus's' at our Gates. From what I have experienced in my own company, I am sure that the money they spend on tissue paper and coffee is probably enough to give a home to one of these street children.
I can only write about this insanity and prehaps give a few coins to the child beggars. At the same time I weep for myself and the all the companies and their employees in Noida for we will most likely have to answer to God one day for what we pretended not to see, just like the rich man in Jesus's parable.
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