The thousands of homeless children trying to eke out a living in India's railway stations

Arjun recalls going to fetch water at a railway station when the train his parents were on suddenly departed. He never saw them again. More than 50,000 children went missing in India in 2020, according to the nation’s National Crime Records Bureau. Some were unexpectedly separated from their parents, others were abandoned or are runaways. Arjun is among thousands of children who have ended up sheltering at one of India's many railway stations. With no support from society, they often end up begging, abused and exploited. 

November 12, 2023