Akbar was only four years old when Ainku Lal found him abandoned in a park in Lucknow. Lal adopted Akbar and brought him up as his own son. However, today, Lal is in a dilemma, Akbar’s biological mother wants her son back and has approached the Supreme Court of India.Twelve-year-old Akbar is unwilling to go back to his mother forsaking his foster father, Aiku Lal, with whom he has spent eight long years.“I just do not wish to go back to my mother, who is not even in a position to let me continue my studies,” Akbar told this scribe in reaction to the petition moved by his mother, Shahnaz before the apex court seeking custody of her son.Lal, who has not only been a guardian, friend, philosopher and guide to Akbar, has also looked after him as his own son. Lal dreads the thought of parting with the boy.After all, Lal’s life has been circling around Akbar right since 2003 when he found him in a park, overlooking the tiny tea stall that he runs for his livelihood in Lucknow’s Qaiser Bagh area….
Check this, and you will know for yourself what I am talking about. A gentleman over there said -’Humanity is the only (greatest) Religion’ I second him altogether! All this was shown on television in a particular show few days back, I observed all the counter-arguments that Shahnaz had to give for getting her “child” back, it was mere childish talk, the sole logic behind her argument stated something like ‘how could a Hindu person raise a Muslim child?’
Whatever – at least Lal is not going to lose Akbar carelessly in a pub some day!
Humanity has not totally dried out from our society, people like Lal are still willing to lend their hand out for help, cater to others needs in whatever way possible. Some days back I wrote about our “modern society“, I’d like to add that this is just another side of it. Perhaps we barely take a minute to think about those who are not “of our standards” like Lal, but they are way way more “modern” than most of us. Haunted by the severe question – ‘what was he going to do with the child’, Ainku Lal did not for a moment think of leaving the helpless child to its cruel fate, and carry on with his routine; In our words/thoughts that would not have caused this fuss, no person would’ve said anything about this “Religion-gap” – because that’s the thing we fear the most – public opinion. No matter even if Hell breaks lose, we will, by all means, try to keep up our image fine in public – no matter even if some poor child has to die for it. That’s how “modern” we actually are.