He left his home in bordering Uttar Pradesh state three months ago and now sleeps at the stall where he found work for 800 rupees (US$20) a month.
“This is the right thing for me now,” he said, insisting he was 14.
Years later, however, many child workers like Abhishek resent their childhoods spent at work.
Chitranjan Kumar Varma, 28, ran away from his teacher’s beatings and from his parents, who wanted him to stay at school, to learn how to drive.
Fifteen years later he earns the equivalent of about US$150 a month.
“Now I feel bad I didn’t study. Now I understand what studying can bring you,” said Varma. “I would have gone ahead in life. Now I can’t do anything but be a driver.”
RSS