Ludhiana: At the tender age of nine, when most children play with toys, Ranjot Singh of Ludhiana is selling bhelpuri to eke out a living. Like him, his two sisters, aged 11 and 6, also quit studies last year as they could not afford a smartphone. Things got worse when their father died of cardiac arrest in March this year as their mother remains unwell.
The family was unable to have a meal in a day and no relative or friend came forward to help. With no option left, Ranjot, a resident of Khajoor Chowk, Salem Tabri, set up a cart outside a liquor vend near Jalandhar Bypass to sell bhelpuri.