Destitute boy shows grit, bags award

Om Prakash Gurjar was thrown out of his parents' house at the age of five. Three years later, he decided to stand up and speak out. And on Sunday, he got the International Children's Peace Prize for 2006, reports KS Tomar.

All of 14 years but he went to court to fight for underprivileged children's rights. After being thrown out of his parents’ house at the age of five, Om Prakash Gurjar spent another gruelling three years before he decided to stand up and speak out against exploitation.

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The ashram or shelter house near Alwar that his parents had sent him to became a platform for him to raise his voice for the fellow inmates. Along with working to pay for his school fees and lodging, Om moved court against the management of the school, which charged hefty amounts from poor students. He won the case and became a role model for destitute children.

On Sunday, Om was conferred with the prestigious International Children's Peace Prize for 2006.

A class 10 student, he received the $1,00,000 prize money from former South African president FA De clerk at The Hague.

Om's story is no different from the millions of unwanted children across the country. He was regularly beaten up by his employers who gave him only two meals a day. The determined boy formed a small network of 'child friendly villages' to motivate parents to get the birth certificates of their wards to protect them from the exploitation. He helped at least 500 children to get their birth certificates and went from school to school to create awareness about the new law banning children under 14 years from working as labourers or domestic helps.

Om's mother Teeja Bai and father Hari Ram Gurjar were not aware of the prestigious award bagged by their son. Ram is a class four employee in a local Panchayat and gets a paltry sum of Rs 150 every month. He said that he had sent his son to an ashram as he was advised to do so by his sarpanch in Dwarpur village.

Email KS Tomar: ktomar@hindustantimes.com