Santram was nine when he was 'mortgaged' by his father to a local merchant for just Rs. 5,000, and six quintals (600 kg) of wheat. Now 14, Santram is still working 12 hours a day so that his family gets 100 kg wheat a year. His village is one of the many in Madhya Pradesh's Harda district, where poor families pawn their children for a little money and food.
