One night I had a dream
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with God and across the sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonged to me, the other to God When the last scene of my life flashed before us.
I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed, that many times along the path of life.
There was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very Lowest and saddest times in my life. This really bothered me and I questioned God about it.
"God, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way, but I noticed that during the most troublesome time in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why in times when I need you most, you would leave me" God replied. "My precious child, I love you and I would never never leave you during your time of trials and suffering When you see only one set of footprints, it was Then that I carried you."
The above inspiring passage closely echoes my feelings as I sit down to record an attempt to eliminate child labour in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. The project had been beset by hardships forcing me to often contemplate giving up but a divine power secured to be propelling me towards a meaningful resolution of the problem. This book is an account of my battle against the menace of child labour in which, with the unfailing support of Sri Satya Sai Baba, I was able to attain a degree of success well beyond my wildest dreams.
I entered the ranks of bureaucracy after passing the Civil Services examination and being allotted to the IRPS in 1989. In the course of the next twelve years of my career, I worked to gain valuable experience in administrative matters as well as in Personnel Management and Labour Welfare activities and served in various capacities that included being in charge of the Personnel Department of Vijayawada and Guntakal Divisions However, satisfying as my work happened to be, I was persistently haunted by a powerful yearning to tread new ground and achieve something other than what was simply routine or ordinary. An opportunity to realize my dreams suddenly presented itself before me when I was deputed to work with the UNDP on February 12th 1999. At the time. UNDP was running a major programme on Poverty Alleviation in three districts of A.P. and I was posted as National Consultant for Primary Education and Child Labour Elimination in the district of Ananthpur. one of the largest districts in A.P. and a region cursed by frequent droughts and the related evils of unemployment, poverty, illiteracy and child labour. With the incidence of child labour being the highest in A.P. with a percentage of 14.3 and rural child labour contributing to the tune of 95% of the problems in India. the task was undoubtedly a most challenging one. Further, in view of my interest craving to continuously learn and discover while at work, the assignment showed definite promise of being exciting as well as fulfilling.
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