POSTSCRIPT

SOCIETY

paid for playing the games. The charge was `5 per half an
hour. I learned that they went to the platforms, begging for
money, and as soon as they could get hold of `5 `10, they
returned
to the caf to resume the games.
Street urchins who beg at railway stations and are
While standing there waiting my turn, a flurry of questions
deprived of most of the basic amenities of life still
fl
ooded
my mind. These children, with tattered clothes,
find time to derive pleasure from computer games
unkempt and undernourished hair and malnourished bodies,
at cyber cafes.
seemed to have nary a care. Despite the lack of the basic
amenities of life, and despite having no education or social
Anamika Chakraborty
security, they were enjoying to their hearts content the
happened to visit a cyber caf recently as my PC had
pleasures of cyber life. On the one hand, I thought, it is good
crashed. The caf is located adjacent to the No 1 platform
that these kids could enjoy the benefits of technologythey
of the railway station at Barasat Junction, West Bengal.
who are otherwise deprived of most of lifes goodies. On
As I peeped into the congested space I noticed all the
the other hand, I could not help worry about the misuse
machines were taken; a closer look revealed that except for
of money taking place every dayamounts that, though
two machines being used by a young college boy
meagre, meant a lot to those whose only income
For these children
and a girl, all the other chairs were occupied by who lacked the basic came through begging. I learned that these
kids. All of them had their backs to me so I could
children earned around `40 to `50 a day and, on
necessities of life,
not see their faces; but I could see the screens of the
occasion,
even close to `100. They keep about `30
who did not know
computers before them and I realised that all the
for
themselves,
which adds up to `900 a month!
where their next
children were playing cyber games. I was natuQuite perturbed with the owner of the cafe
meal would come
rally very surprised at the thought of so many
who was exploiting these young urchins for his
from, who only had
kids playing games in a cyber caf on a weekday
material gain, I asked him why he allowed them
railway platforms
morning. Didnt they have school? It wasnt sesto waste their money in such an irresponsible
for shelter, and rags
sion-break time! Immediately I thought of my
manner. Shrugging his shoulders, his nonchalant
for clothing, for
12-year-old elder son who still hadnt tasted the
reply was, Dudiker i to labh hochche. amar o du
them education was poisa hochche, orao anondo pachche. e chhara
pleasure of this kind of freedom.
a scornful luxury
As I entered the caf and took a closer look at
oder jibon e ki i ba ar ache. (Both sides are being
the kids, I got the shock of my life: playing those cyber games
benefited. I am earning some money and they are also
at full go as seasoned players were street urchinseight to
getting some entertainment. As it is, what else do they have
13 years of age, approximatelywho beg at railway platin life?)
forms and whose lives are centred in, and around, the railAs one of the bigger boysthe one who had fixed the comway stations. There were both boys and girls, and as I stood
puter problemcame outside along with a couple of other
there stunned, some other kids came running in; those who
kids, I asked them why weret they going to some school inwere until then playing went off and the newcomers occustead of wasting time and money in this way. As soon as I had
pied their seats.
posed the question, I realised the emptiness and meaningThe owner of the caf was least bothered; he seemed busy
lessness of my query. For these children who lacked the basic
helping the young girl, who looked
necessities of life, who did not
LAST LINES
like a college student, download
know where their next meal
some material from the internet.
would come from, who only had
When one of the beggar girls comrailway platforms for shelter, and
plained about some malfunction in
rags for clothing, for them educaone of the machines, the owner, a
tion was a scornful luxury. As I
young man, called out to one of
stood there ashamed at my own
the boys named Babu: Babu dyekh
theoretical and bookish perspecto ki hoyeche (Babu, have a look
tive of life, the open-hearted
into the matter). Babu, around 11
laughter of those kids seemed to
or 12 years old, jumped on the
mock my apparent ignorance and
chair to have a look into the masent a chill down my spine.
chine's innards, tinkered a bit,
India has indeed become
came back to his seat and exdigitalised.
claimed, Hoye geche (Its done).
Anamika Chakraborty (anaamika1975@yahoo.
Recovering from my stupor, I
in), based in Barasat, near Kolkata, is a digitally
asked one of the girls what they
perplexed parent of digitally curious children.

India Digitalised

136

june 11, 2016

vol lI no 24

EPW

Economic & Political Weekly