The Ganga is worshipped by many people. It gives life to the animals and trees around it. Everyone knows this. But did you also know that it indirectly helps the poor?
During my visit to Haridwar in the summer, on a fine morning, we had gone for a pleasant walk on the banks of the river. An unusual sight caught my eye. The locals didn’t seem to mind. In fact, they went about like it was a normal thing to do around there.
I saw two boys aged not more than 10, in their underwear, standing hip-deep in the river without a care about the strong currents that might pull them away. They were not bathing for sure.
After observing them for a minute or two, I understood the purpose of this exercise. The boys had tied a magnet to the end of a long string and were searching for coins that were thrown into the river by the rich. Once they had collected enough coins, the boys would return to the banks. Don’t you think that this is unbelievably clever?
G.S. Sangami, X D, Jawahar HSS, Neyveli
