Comments on: The Words That Haunt Me

By: Elvira Dawson

Elvira Dawson — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 03:23:42 +0000

hi
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good luck

By: khris

khris — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:02:38 +0000

i discovered that there are more than 25 million child slaves in the world. That is just WRONG!!!!! How could a mother or a father just sell there son for a few dollars. You also told us that those little kids are as young as five and are cheaper then cattle. you did a good job on your blog and explained every thing clean and well. I also like how you made many hyper links so other readers and myself can click on them and learn more about this tragic problem

By: Shelley Seale

Shelley Seale — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 20:43:03 +0000

p.s. regarding your question about the children of Iraq – that situation has me embarrassed to be an American. I do NOT support the war in Iraq or the U.S. position and involvement there, and have not since day one. I completely agree with you. As Jeff said, it is a tragedy for children just as child trafficking and labor in India is a tragedy for those children. As are the many tragedies that befall children in my own country, the U.S., which certainly also has its share of horrific problems.

By: Shelley Seale

Shelley Seale — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 20:37:24 +0000

To Little Indian: I ask if you read my article, Children As Chattel? I must take issue with your comment that I am representing an India in which Indians themselves are apathetic to the problem. Far from the case. If you read the article, you would see that the entire story is centered around Mr. Swapan Mukherjee and his organization CCD. Swapan and CCD are doing INCREDIBLE work in investigating child traffickers and bringing them to justice, as well as rescuing child laborers and upholding their rights to an education, a childhood, and a better life. Virtually all of my articles, and the majority of the book I am writing, profile dozens of Indians who are doing the work in the trenches on behalf of vulnerable children. I have spent months in the country, traveling all around India and visiting/interviewing many, many Indians who are running orphanages, AIDS clinics, and other NGOS working with such children.

This post was simply in response to the question, How can AMERICANS halfway around the world help? It in no way suggested that Indians were apathetic or were not helping. Please read the article and other things I have written more fully before suggesting such a thing, for nothing could be further from my truth.

By: JWT

JWT — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:21:31 +0000

Mahendrap… I certainly can’t disagree with your logic. The massive and continued increases in population growth only compound the problem. If statistics can ever be a guide, educated populations have fewer children. I’m not sure how you get to population natural population control without social reforms that include better education at every economic level.

By: mahendrap

mahendrap — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 09:51:22 +0000

While I do appreciate your blog views and Shelley’s real-world efforts in this regard (I’ve blogrolled Shelley a long time back), I am not convinced that any real change can be brought about in India without the population being brought under control.

And that’s a big challenge. This is not to diminish or downplay the role of agencies and individuals involved in caring for India’s children – it is simply too magnanimous a task. Without fixing the leak in the plumbing, any attempts to individually transplant the water bucket by bucket isn’t pragmatic.

By: JWT

JWT — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 13:32:47 +0000

I like it.

By: little indian

little indian — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 13:31:14 +0000

Hey, no problem, JWT.
Your’s is a marked blog now, you will find me here often, like it or not.

By: JWT

JWT — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 13:15:54 +0000

Little Indian… you have no idea how happy I am to have your comment and to hear your perspective. It is certainly possible to get the impression that Indians are apathetic. It is NOT my goal and I am sure it is not Shelley’s goal either. The goal is to provide a forum for shedding light on the problems and for allow discussion, like this one. I want both sides heard.

I will be checking out all of your links and your own blog.

As for Iraq, it is a tragedy as is the child slavery tragedy. I grieve for those children as well, it is just not the focus of this blog.

Again, thank you for stopping by and taking the time to bring your perspective. It is greatly appreciated!

By: little indian

little indian — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 08:49:55 +0000

Reading your and Ms Seale’s article,
it seems that Indians themselves are apathetic to the problem.

No report on such issues are complete
unless you also tell your readers what the people of
the victim’s own country has and is doing to help them.

Here are just a few links.

http://wcd.nic.in/
http://www.indianembassy.org/policy/Child_Labor/childlabor.htm
http://www.chordindia.org/home.html
http://www.europeanchildrensnetwork.org/resources/InfoDetail.asp?ID=880
http://www.europeanchildrensnetwork.org/Organisations/viewOrg.asp?ID=531

There will be hundreds more that never gets on the net.
And people who help children on individual basis, but never publicise themselves.

I took up the responsibility of
a child’s education (school and university) when she lost her father
a non-relative, known by my mother through one of her’s childhood friends.
There will be thousands like me doing a little bit here and everywhere.

So please do not give the impression that India and Indians are not doing anything,
the reality it is us the silent Indians that makes the real difference.

Besides what price do you put on the children of Iraq
that have suffered under the sanctions
and are getting killed as we speak?