Happy, but sad

Arun, the last of the boys MiD DAY 'bought' from touts, is enjoying hot meals and daily baths at Balamandir. But, he says, 'I want to see my parents'

Arun, the last of the boys MiD DAY 'bought' from touts, is enjoying hot meals and daily baths at Balamandir. But, he says, 'I want to see my parents'

Arun alias Manu Kumar, one of the four boys rescued from child-traffickers, is living the good life though he continues to pine for his parents.

MiD DAY 'bought' Arun and three others from touts at the city railway station before handing them over to Child Welfare Committee (CWC).

Changed: Manu got a fresh change of clothes at the Child Welfare Commitee office, Balamandir, on Monday (left). Manu on the day he was rescued (right) pics/Ramesh H S

The boy, now staying at Balamandir, is lonely since his companions have been released.

While authorities search for his parents, the food and clothing offer some compensation.

Yummy

"I have never tasted fresh and hot food," said Arun. " Here, I get tasty food that I didn't see even in the hotel I was working in."

At the fast food joint in Mysore where he worked, Arun would get stale food late in the night. Breakfast was unknown and lunch a rarity.

He was surprised when he was called for breakfast the morning he landed there and relished the steaming chitranna.

Apart from chitranna, other breakfast items include puliyogare, uppittu, idly, bisibele bhath while it's rice, sambar, rasam, vegetables and ragi balls for lunch and dinner.

"I thought it was a jail, but now I know this is a nice place," he said.

For the better

Arun, who normally changed his clothes once in 15 days and sometimes once a month, is changing every day at Balamandir.

"I like this," he said, sporting a second-hand striped Woodland T-shirt. "I've been given five sets of clothes."

Though a daily bath is a new experience, Arun is familiar with the Lifebuoy soap he is using since it used to be at the washbasin in the fast food joint.

"I'm enjoying it," says Arun. " But, I want to see my parents."

Hunt's on

Meanwhile, representatives of Mysore Bosco Mane are combing the city to find his parents and think they may be working at a construction site near Nanjangud.

"It is possible that Arun had lied about his parents being in Mysore because he is now telling us he is from Dibbur near Nanjangud," said a Bosco Mane representative. "We hope we reunite him with his parents soon."

Child-trafficking? Really? Wait till I get back
Narendra Swamy, minister for child and women development, who was not available on the day MiD DAY broke the story, remains clueless about the issue.

"What you are saying is a big issue, and I am shocked to know that child trafficking is happening in Bangalore," he said. "I will take up the issue once I am back in the city on Wednesday," he said.

He was travelling to Mysore.

Balamandir staff had told MiD DAY that there was a shortage of plates to serve food for some 150 children. When reminded of this, Swamy said, "I will definitely look into it and see that there are no shortcomings at Balamandir."

Sources say Swamy has not visited Balamandir since he took charge as minister last year.u00a0