Proud to be Indian - A Little Boy's Spirit

The orange-pink sky; the dusk was so beautiful. What a feast for my eyes.... we were waiting for a darshan of lord Ganapathy, Annegudde (near Udupi) Karnataka, when I was relishing the scene. After the prayers and offerings we lingered around the village enjoying each second of the scenery. Suddenly a boy with jet black hair, so lean for his age appeared before us. He pestered us to buy pens a cost of 10 rupees. We kindly rejected his offer, but then he said something to us which nearly pierced deep inside my heart.

He told that he had no father and his mother struggled hard to bring him and his sister. As a maid she wasn't able to keep her children in school. So this boy did par time job like being paperboy or helping villagers in farming etc to obtain money. Apart from this he has to study, when he was free he would sell pens in this temple. I felt pity for the little boy and I bought the pens from him and gave extra 50 rupees to help him. But I was really shocked by his response. He told me that he was not begging for money. I told I was only helping him. But he gave an answer which is suitable for the whole world. He told that as an Indian in this country, and as a son to his mother, he was responsible to do duties such as helping to earn money with his own efforts and hard work. "The money you are willing to give is only bribing my efforts to bring money to home with honesty."

I was shocked to receive such an reply from a boy who was not even eight years old. Till now my mind is disturbed when I think of the little boy who loved to be a responsible person or rather a responsible citizen in any bad situation and also his implanted honesty in his heart. I was admiring his quality.... these thoughts made me take a longer time to reply. I smiled at him and gave 200 rupees and took all his pens... then when I returned and sat in the car he came and told...''Thank you akka''. I told bye brother and he rushed home for his mother, to show his collection. That second, I felt proud to be an Indian....