Untouchable
Kabir knows that, before the sun rises, he must go and collect trash from the streets. He grabs his sack and starts walking. He lives in Varanasi, India. He is surrounded by the first chants of the day, plastic bags, insects, cows, and a few goats.
People ignore him as he wanders in search of trash—he is a Dalit, considered “untouchable” because of his caste.
For devout Hindus, being born into one caste or another is the result of good or bad deeds from previous incarnations. Although legally abolished in 1950, castes define social and occupational opportunities in an almost immutable way. Some 200 million people in India are still considered “untouchable.”
Kabir goes home with a full bag and an empty stomach. He’ll eat if he’s lucky. If not, he’ll have to wait until lunchtime. He doesn’t mind eating rice all the time. He loves it and is grateful to enjoy every last grain.
Before picking up his younger brother from school, Kabir runs through the winding alleys. He reaches the Ganges River and takes a long bath, gets dressed, and runs to the headquarters of a foreign NGO where his brother is waiting for him. Most local schools shamelessly close their doors when they learn that the new students are Dalits.
Sitting on the steps by the Ganges River, Kabir goes over the alphabet in his brother’s notebook. He knows it by heart.
Satisfied after reciting it from memory, he asks another boy for a kite and jumps and laughs like never before. Amidst letters and games, this moment is the only one he has to feel like the child he truly is.
It begins to get dark, and Kabir must go home. He quickens his pace to give his father the 10 rupees (9-euro cents) he earned selling plastic. Afterwards, he will fill a wicker basket with the candles and flowers he sells at night. He hurries, as he doesn’t want to upset his father. Kabir manages to sell three candles, thus avoiding a beating.
Before returning home, he lights one of the candles, places it in the Ganges River, and lets the current carry it away.
The moon shines on the waters of the sacred river along with the small light that carries Kabir’s dream: “to become a doctor to help others.”