Mujhe nahin pata baal diwas kya cheez hai" is his innocent reply. Ask him about "Chacha Nehru" and he giggles, "Mera koi chacha nahin sirf taya hai". Son of a rickshaw puller, Sillu learnt to earn his living practically from the day he learnt to walk and move around.

For kids of rich people Children's Day might have meant excitement at school, pampering at home and special incentives from parents. But, for children of the less privileged it was just another day. Geetu, a four-year-old, has been begging since she was in her mother's lap. She cannot comprehend what going to school exactly means for she has never been to one and doesn't know whether she would like to or not. November 14 has no significance in her life whatsoever.

Son of a scooter rickshaw driver, 14-year-old Sonu earns his living at the ISBT selling newspapers. His is a hectic 16 hours schedule -- he has to get up at 4 a.m. to make arrangements for the day's business and does not go to bed before 11 p.m. When asked what was Children's Day, his matter-of-fact response was: "Saab ameeron ke chochle hain, hum kya jane".

Majority of the underprivileged children Newsline spoke to on Children's Day, had no idea of Baal Diwas and were least concerned. For those who are only acquainted with strong hunger pangs which cannot be pacified for want of food, cakes and balloons are alien terms. Robbed of their innocence in tender age, these are life's misfortunes whose very base is in need and deprivation.

When Jawaharlal Nehru talked of his vision of India in future, probably he did not envisage it this way. Burdened with full day's heavy work -- just to obtain two meals a day -- these unfortunate kids can be seen selling tea, coffee or newspapers at railway stations or bus stands, fixing up broken bikes or scooters at a mechanic's shops, cleaning utensils or doing odd jobs at various dhabas and other eateries in the city, begging outside temples, hotels, eating joints or in market places and doing anything their small hands and feet can manage.

But there is a silver lining to every dark cloud. Oblivious of life's luxuries and materialistic pleasures, these kids have an air of exuberance typical of childhood which refuses to die out. While checking air in a rich man's car they will invariably have a song on their lips or their merry laughter will break out at the slightest provocation. As 10-year-old Raju says: "Paisa sub kuch nahin hota, khush rehne ke liye dil bhi chahiye."