NGO saves boy from the hands of drudgery

MYSORE: Till the volunteers of Odanaadi entered the scene, life for 10-year-old Sagar was nothing but drudgery. He was forced to work more than 16 hours a day .
Three years ago when he came to Mysore with his mother to witness the world-famous Dasara celebrations, Sagar probably never imagined that he would end up in the clutches of a woman who would make him slog to earn money for her.
A mix-up at the railway station, where he got separated from his mother, landed him in the clutches of Mahadevamma, who runs a roadside tea stall in Mandi Mohalla here.
Initially, Mahadevamma, who has no male issues, made people believe she had adopted an orphan and looked after him well.
But the good days were numbered. It took no time for Sagar to realise that he had ended up in the wrong hands.
Mahadevamma, who took Sagar under her wings, made him work at a carpenter’s shop for an annual wage of Rs 5,000. Then she employed Sagar in her own tea stall. She not only ill-treated him, but regularly beat him up for no fault of his.
On Monda,y it was by sheer chance that volunteers of Odanaadi, an NGO working for the welfare of sex workers and orphans, identified Sagar and rescued him.
Now, Sagar who hails from Banhatti town in Bagalkot district is being sheltered in Odanaadi. He will soon be reunited with his parents — Panduranga and Chandravva, weavers from the town known for producing hand-woven sarees.
The police, who received complaints of Sagar’s ill treatment by Mahadevamma, neither acted against her nor booked a case against her for employing an under-age child. Nor did they act against her for the wrongful confinement of Sagar for over three years.
Odanaadi chief Stanely told The Times of India that the lack of enthusiasm among the police to book cases against people employing children has made their task tough. Employers are allowed to go scot-free.
This attitude of the police has made the former employ children from poorer sections of the society and torture them.
Stanley alleged the police are threatening Odanaadi volunteers with dire consequences.