Street children of India: a situational analysis

Urbanization-transformation of
human society from a primarily rural
to a primarily urban-is a central fact
of modern human existence and a
striking feature of the future situation
of the world population. Whatever
be the positive gains of city and its
civilization, it has created immense
social problems ramifications of which
have affected the quality of life of
much of the humankind. It has given
rise to new human habitat-slums and
shanty towns-where an average of 50
percent of the urban population lives
in conditions of extreme deprivation
and battle continuously simply to
survive. The crisis urbanization has
wrought has undoubtedly affected al
sections of the urban population;
urban
nevertheless, the
Fourth World People of Third World
poor-the
countries-have been hit hardest.
However, risks of urbanization vary
by the age and sex. Trapped in pov
erty, age-wise, children, youth and
elderly people and sex-wise, girls and
Women
are the
most vulnerable
groups. Children, particularly from
the poverty-stricken families, have
fallen prey to the problems that are
at once too complex: they are used,
abandoned, neglected and expioted
in sundry ways. The poorest et the
poor-the children-have been Cast nto
the streets of the cities to dtor
themselves.
The present study focuses on street
children-a symptom of a deep and
disturbing trend in society end a
growing urban tragedy