कहाँ छ मेरो बाल अधिकार ? (Where is my Child Right?)

This is a poem in Nepali entitled “Why is my Child Right?” For English interpretation of the poem, scroll down to the bottom of the poem.

नाम उसको राम, बस्छ शहरको ठूलो घरमा,

तर यो घर उसको होइन !

उसका बाबुआमा गरिब नभएका भए

मालिकको घरमा नोकर भएर बस्नु पर्ने थिएन |

उसका मालिक साधारण मान्छे होइनन्

उनी त हुन् यस शहरक नामी समाजसेवी |

अरूको पीडा देख्न नसक्ने उनी

रामको परिवारका लागि “धर्मात्मा” बनेका रे

रामलाई आमाबाबुको काखबाट खोसेर शहर ल्याएका रे !

मालिकको घरमा आएपछि गरिब राम “रामे” भयो,

आमाबाबुको मायाबाट टाढिएर नोकर भयो |

कहिले मालिकको काम बिग्रिंदा बेकामे भयो,

कहिले मालिक्नीको भरिया, धोबी;

त कहिले मालिकको छोराको खेलौना भयो |

गरिब त छदै थियो; बिचरो, अपहेलित र दुखी भयो |

पढ्ने रहर लाग्छ उसलाई मालिकको छोरालाई देख्दा;

स्कूलको गेट सधैँ देख्छ ऊ सानो मालिकलाई पुर्याउन जाँदा |

तर भित्र हुन्छ के ? केहि थाहा छैन !

फर्की आउँछ ऊ मालिकको घर, माझ्नलाई वर्तन;

सोच्छ आँसु झार्दै, दुखी हुँदो रै’छ गरिबको जीवन !

एक दिन मालिकको छोरो खुब रमाउँदै आए

आफ्नो ब्याग ‘रामे’ लाई थमाए अनि हाँसे |

‘रामे’ ले भन्यो, “सानु मालिक आज साह्रै खुशी हुनुहुन्छ, किन होला?

उनले भने, “राखेर आइज झोला अनि भनौंला |”

सानो मालिकको छुट्टै शान थियो,

जहाँ गए पनि उनका पितालाई जत्तिकै मान थियो |

आज के कारणले खुशी भएका हुन् ? राम जान्न उत्सुक हुँदै थियो |

फर्केर आएपछि ‘रामे’, भने सानो मालिकले:

“मलाई सजाय दिन खोज्ने ? देख्यो आज त्यसले |”

“को सानो मालिक?” सोध्यो डराउँदै रामले |

उनले भने, “त्यै क्या पढाउन नजान्ने मास्टरले,

मेरो गल्ति नभए’नि क्लासमा उठा’को थियो,

गल्ति नसुधारे पिट्ने धम्की दिएको थियो |”

“अनि?” रामले फेरी सोध्यो |

“त्यसले बाल अधिकार हनन गर्दा सबैको सामु मेरो ड़ाइलग खायो |”

“के हो सानो मालिक बाल अधिकार ?”

“कति कचकच गर्छ, जा आफ्नो काम गर् |”

सानो मालिकले झर्कदै जवाफ दिन गरे इन्कार |

रामले गर्न थाल्यो विचार,

आखिर के रै’छ त बाल अधिकार ?

रामलाई आफू बालक हुँ भन्ने बाहेक केही थाहा थिएन

सानै देखि गरिबी बाहेक केही देखेन |

जति सोच्दा पनि थाहा पाएन के रहेछ बाल अधिकार

साँझ ‘समाजसेवी’ मालिकलाई सोध्ने गर्यो विचार |

रामले आफ्नो इतिहासको पाना पल्टायो,

अहिले सम्म जीवनमा हण्डर मात्र खायो |

सानो मालिक र उसमा के फरक थियो र?

अझ अशिष्ट भएर माग्थे सानो मालिक बाल अधिकार

शिष्ट भएर ‘रामे’ले सहनु पर्थ्यो अन्याय, अत्याचार |

मालिकलाई खान टक्र्याउँदै सोध्यो रामले-

“के हो मालिक बाल अधिकार ?”

भने मालिकले, “पढ्न, खेल्न पाउनु नै त हो बाल अधिकार !”

रामले सोध्यो, “के मैले पढ्न, खेल्न पाएको छु र?”

अनि दृढ आवाजका साथ् भन्यो- “मालिक, एकछिन गरेर विचार

भन्नुहोस् कहाँ छ मेरो बाल अधिकार ?”

©२०६९ साल भाद्र २९, बाल दिवस (September 14, 2012, Children’s Day)

Ram is a boy from a poor family living as a domestic worker in the city. His master is a rich man and has a big name in the society as a ‘social worker’. One day, when he happened to see Ram during one of his ‘social work’ trips, he talks to his poor parents. He takes Ram away from them with a promise that the little boy would be provided with education. But that does not happen. Ram thinks he was snatched away from his parents.

The master, his wife and his son make him do several chores in the house. They scold him if he makes mistakes. His name now becomes “Rame”, a derogatory form. He is sad because he has to hear these things just because he is a servant in their home.

The master’s son goes to a school nearby his home. Ram carries his bags and leaves him to the school, but he has not seen anything that happens in the school because of its high walls. Sending the ‘little master’ off, he returns back to wash utensils. He wants to go to the school but can not say that to anyone.

One day, after school, his ‘little master’ comes home laughing heartily. Ram asks why he is so happy. In reply, the master’s son says that he showed his powers to someone. Now he would never be bothered anyone in the school. Curious Ram asks for details and the boy says, “That teacher, who does not know how to teach scolded me in the class and threatened to punish me if I did not show him homework. I shouted to him that punishing children is violation of their rights. He could not say a thing after that.”

Ram asks what children’s rights are, but his ‘little master’, absorbed in his own thoughts, sends him off. Ram decides that he would ask about it to his master. In the meanwhile he thinks about his life. He finds out that he had been gentle to the masters and yet been scolded everyday, whereas the ‘little master’ talked rudely of child rights. He feels like crying.

That evening, he asks his master what child rights are. The master replies, “To get to study and to get to play are child rights.” Ram asks, “Master, do I get to play and  to study?” Then with a determined voice he says, “Master, do think for a while and say- where is my child right?”