India's Forrest Gump

Budhia, the wonderful four year old from Orissa, who made it to the Limca Book of Records is now at the centre of a controversy. The Human Rights body of India has finally awoken from it's slumber and is in the process of 'freeing' the poor kid from the shackles of the great E word. Exploitation, something which is so alien to the Human Rights organisation.

There's no doubt that he's a prodigy in the making, and is beacon for so many impoverished kids. But how would this inspiration help those who canot afford themselves a meal everyday? In a country where nepotism is rampant, and bureaucracy and corruption flows alongside the river of greed, there's nothing much we can do. We become silent spectators of a drama that ensues when a 4 year old kid breaks his way to the front page of a newspaper.

Where are the corporations, those who are listed on the NYSE? Is it too much to ask for some company to sponsor the child and light his path to an enlightened future? Are they all waiting for the poor kid to run out of steam, now that doctors have warned that such marathons could harm his body? The govt refuses to take care of him, that's not much of a surprise, it's has been a rotten one and will always remain one.

1.3 billion people and the only dent we made in the 2004 Olympics was one silver medal. Time's running out, in a nation that fundamentally shuns any sport save for cricket, he could be long forgotten in the avalanche of page 3 news that has made it to page 1.

Budhia, how I wish that one of the 11 bastards on the cricket team would lend you a helping hand. You're too young to stand up, I wish someone would keep his contracts aside and be a human being for once.

Run, Budhia, run.....