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India’s Forest Gump
30/ 5/2006
He runs seven hours at a stretch, sometimes as much as 48km (30
miles). On a daily basis.
And Budhia Singh is just four years old.
When Budhia's father died a year ago, his mother, who washes dishes
in Bhubaneswar, capital of the eastern Indian state of Orissa, was
unable to provide for her four children.
She sold Budhia to a man for 800 rupees ($20).
But the young boy came to the attention of Biranchi Das, a judo
coach and the secretary of the local judo association.
Mr Das said he noticed Budhia's talent when scolding him for being
a bully.
"Once, after he had done some mischief, I asked him to keep running
till I came back," Mr Das told the BBC.
"I got busy in some work. When I came back after five hours, I was
stunned to find him still running."
Mr Das, also the president of the residents' association of the
run-down area where Budhia used to live, summoned the man who had
bought Budhia and paid him his 800 rupees back.
Then started a strict diet and exercise regimen that saw Budhia
adding a few kilometres to his daily marathon every few days.
In place of a few lumps of rice that he used to get at his mother's
place, he now has a diet of eggs, milk, soybean and meat.
He starts running at 0500 each day and does not stop till
noon.
After a few stretching exercises, he has lunch and goes for a
siesta.
At 1600 it is time to run again.
Budhia is enjoying his stay at the judo hostel. "I can run and eat
to my heart's content here," he says.
His speech is not yet easy to understand. Though he has yet to go
to school, he has completed learning the alphabet of Oriya, the
local language.
Budhia's coach has now set his eyes on a place in the Guinness Book
of World Records.
That, he says, will be possible when he can run for 90km at a
stretch.
"I have no doubt whatsoever that he will achieve it soon", Mr Das
says.
Because of his running prowess he is being called Indias Forrest
Gump after the fictional simpleton who said he would run like the
wind.
But not everyone approves of what is happening to Budhia.
New Delhi: Asian Centre for Human Rights urged National Human
Rights Commission of India to intervene against endangering the
life of four-year-old
and Pramila Malik, the state's women and child development
minister, has accused Das of using the boy "like a monkey and
minting money".
Das has rejected allegations of abuse. "The chief minister told a
public meeting I was making so many rupees from Budhia," he said
last week. "It's not true."
Child psychologists and paediatricians say the real fear is the
physical and emotional toll taken on Budhia.
Anupam Sibal, a doctor at Delhi's Apollo hospital, said: "There
wouldn't be any impact on his growth, but he will have cartilage
problems in a few years, and that will have an impact on his
movement."
Budhia, meanwhile, has told friends he is dreaming of glory and is
upset officials are trying to stand in his way. "I want to run," he
said. "I want to be a great athlete and win name and fame for my
country."
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