(IN): Delhi slum in racecourse shadow

November 3, 2007

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Delhi slum in racecourse shadow

Sakshi Talwar

Friday, November 2, 2007 (New Delhi)

Every Tuesday, horses run on tracks of Delhi's racecourse. Lakhs are won and

lost.

Barely five minutes away lies an entire slum that follows the race closely.

Children skip their government school and hit the local bookie, where they

wager the small amounts they've made through part-time jobs in the last few

days.

''I've been betting since four years. I quit school after 8th class.

Sometimes I make thousand, sometimes hundred and sometimes I remain equal,''

said one student.

The children residing nearby have grown up watching their fathers addicted

to the races. Some of the residents work at the racecourse as trainers or

jockeys.

But most of the 500 families earn their living through betting. And after

betting for 20 years, they are aware of their limits now.

The only source of income for those living in this area is betting.

If the young boys are asked to give up this life, they might resort to

stealing, as all of them are used to leading a comfortable life.

The people may have matured through decades of betting but the slum is full

of newcomers to the game. Some gamble for themselves and others have rich

clients, who don't have the time to spend at the track.

And inside information on which horse to back is not hard to come by.

The jockey and the trainers are the ones to give tips to the people

interested in betting. The horse with lowest return is usually the

favourite.

The kids are training to become jockey's. For them and for many others who

live around the racecourse, races, betting and horses have become a way of

life.

A life which they never want to give up, a life with which they hope to make

it big one day.

--

Fight captive Jumbo abuse, end Elephant Polo

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