From child labourer to activist

Thirteen-year-old Ranjit Kumar is a familiar figure at various public meetings in Jharkhand speaking stridently against child labour. What most people do not know is that an incident that changed his life is what is prompting him to do so. Ranjit Kumar lives in his uncle&’s house in village Chanako. Since his early childhood, he has lived with his uncle, as his father is a migrant labourer (driver) in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, and comes home rarely. 

He has five siblings and Ranjit is second among them. He used to rear goats in his native village Balhara (Teliaya Dam), Chandwara, when his maternal uncle brought him to Chanako to study and got him enrolled in Utkramit Prathmik Vidhyalaya. 

He was also simultaneously engaged in mica collection. In 2009-2010, he went to the mine to collect mica and suddenly it caved in with little Ranjit buried alive inside. 

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"A few people immediately brought me out but I was injured," said Ranjit. His mother came the next day but she was unable to pay for his treatment so she decided to dive into mica collection herself. 

Unfortunately, she, too, suffered an accident when another mine collapsed and broke her backbone. She was brought out with the help of people but she was not able to move. She was referred to a private hospital in Ranchi for better treatment, where an estimate of Rs 14 to 15 lakh was given for treatment. 

Ranjit’s family sold their livestock and land but they still fell short. So the hospital released his mother between treatment. She lived for another five years after the accident. 

"I have nightmares about this accident and I wake up breathless. I often have fear written over my face. The trauma of that incident became a barrier to my studies, sleep and regular functioning," he said. 

With the intervention of Bachpan Bachao Andolan activists in Chanako, Ranjit was sent to school. His situation improved with time and at present he is studying in Class VIII in Utkramit ucch Vidhyalaya, Gajhandi. Along with his friends he walks 8 km to school every day.

"He walks another 8 km for extra tuition. He has been elected Mukhiya (Sarpanch, head) of Bal Panchayat of Bal Mitra Gram, Chanako. He now speaks about his and his mother&’s accidents in meetings of Bal Panchayat to warn other children against working in mica mines," BBA said. 

Being a mukhiya of the Panchayat has given him the courage to get over the trauma of the accident. "I want to become a police officer," Ranjit said.

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