A small girl was playing among the female prisoners in Bilaspur Central Jail, when the District Collector who came there for inspection noticed her. For this girl, the boundaries of the world were limited only to these high walls of the prison.
The name of this 6 year old girl was Khushi, who had spent her entire life inside the jail. Her father was serving a long sentence in jail and her mother died when she was just 15 days old. Since there was no one else to take care of him, he was also brought to jail along with his father.
The answer that changed Khushi’s life
According to ‘The Better India’, by the time IAS officer and District Collector Sanjay Kumar Alang met her in 2019, she had spent many years in the same environment. Alang told, ‘I was on inspection to see the arrangements of the jail, then my eyes fell on little Khushi playing with the female prisoners. There was something so innocent about her that I couldn’t stop myself from asking how she came to jail.
When he got information about Khushi’s family, he asked the girl what she wanted to do in her life. Alang recalls, “Khushi told me that she wanted to study in a good school.”
After this, Alang talked to the jail administration and started efforts to get the girl out of the jail and send her to school. ‘Jain International School’ of Bilaspur extended its hand to take the responsibility of his education and accommodation. In the initial days, a caretaker was also arranged to take care of him.
Today the same little Khushi, who spent her early years inside the prison, is standing in a school campus, where exactly a child should be.
Children are born into circumstances they do not choose
Khushi’s story is deeply moving, because it reminds us how easily a child’s world can be shaped by circumstances over which he has no control. He did not choose to lose his mother as a newborn. Neither did he choose his father’s circumstances nor did he choose to spend his childhood behind prison walls. Yet, if no one had stopped and paid attention, she might have remained his entire world.
This gives a big lesson to parents. It is not necessary for children to be born in an ideal or perfect environment to become better. But they do need elders who can understand their shortcomings and, where possible, can open doors for them which they themselves cannot open.
One opportunity can change a child’s way of thinking
For a child, opportunities are not just about achievement. A school doesn’t just teach math, languages or science; He gives the children a routine. He introduces them to people outside their little world. It gives them a chance to play, compete, make mistakes, discover their own interests and find a sense of belonging. These experiences gradually help the child to understand who he or she really is.
Therefore, the happiness of studying was not limited to just getting education. It was a desire to step into a world that he had not yet seen. Sometimes giving a child a chance is actually giving him the opportunity to learn that there is a bigger world out there than his current one.
What can parents learn from Khushi’s story?
Most parents will never have to face such extraordinary circumstances as Khushi. But the lesson of this story is equally applicable to common childhood also. Often we assume that the child will discover his interests and abilities on his own. But in reality, children need the help of adults to initiate those opportunities.
That’s why one of the most helpful questions parents can ask their children is—”What new thing do you want to try?” Just like the IAS officer was surprised by the answer of a 6 year old girl, it is very possible that you too will be surprised to hear your child’s answer.
For happiness, a question opened the door which circumstances had kept closed. Her story is a reminder that children need more than just care; They need someone who sees their potential, listens to their desires and shows them the way forward. Sometimes even a small opportunity at the right time can change the direction of a child’s entire life.