Compassionate Action: A Catalyst for Policy Reform

Today, I want to share an incident that took place 30 years ago, which underscores that compassion is not a choice, but a necessity for building a just and humane society. As I write this, I remember Mahatma Gandhi’s talisman of compassionate policymaking. Gandhi advised Jawaharlal Nehru that when making a policy, one must close their eyes and imagine the face of the most marginalised, the poorest of the poor, then think if that policy will bring a smile to the person’s face.

One fine day, I received a call that sent shivers down my spine. A local reporter informed me about a small child with severe burns, writhing in pain at a house in an upscale Delhi neighbourhood. “I don’t know if he is still alive,” he said in a trembling voice.

Alarmed, my colleagues and I rushed to the location, and we were horrified. A boy, six or seven years old, was lying on the floor, his body burnt all over, crying in pain, almost unconscious. I gently picked him up, and we took him to a hospital. We could see that he was badly tortured, but when we asked the neighbours, we were met with silence. Then we saw the nameplate outside the house, and I was shocked. It was the house of a civil servant.

The boy couldn’t even speak when we found him. When he recovered slightly, he told us that his name was Ashraf, and he worked as a domestic help. That day, he woke up with a fever, so he could not complete his daily chores. Forced to go hungry all day, he drank a few sips of leftover milk meant for their children and in return, they burned him with hot iron tongs as punishment.

I kept tossing and turning in bed that night, anxious and shaken. How can power, meant to serve, become a weapon against the innocent? When those in power dare to harm the most powerless, where can justice truly be found?

It was an urgent and sensitive matter. The next day, despite it being a Sunday, we took him to the house of Justice Ranganath Misra, then the head of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). In an unprecedented move, he called an emergency meeting at his house, ordered an immediate inquiry, and asked that Ashraf be taken to AIIMS. Later, his mother Phooljaha was threatened by his employer and their community leaders. They also offered her a bribe to settle the case, but that brave lady remained undeterred. She told me that what happened with Ashraf must not happen with any other child. “I am with you,” she said.

The meeting at Justice Misra’s house was also attended by Justice V.S. Malimath, a senior member of the NHRC, who expressed deep concern. He later invited me to the NHRC office to understand the case better and learn about domestic child labour. As I described the extent of the exploitation, he listened in stunned silence – but I saw a fire in his eyes. Justice Malimath promised to leave no stone unturned in pursuing a legal ban on domestic child labour, despite the challenges. At a time when domestic child labour was still not considered illegal, he had persuaded the NHRC to take concrete action.

Both the labour as well as law ministries rejected the NHRC’s proposal not once, but twice. But Justice Malimath did not accept defeat. Under his leadership, the NHRC recommended to the central government that it prohibit its employees from keeping children as domestic workers. Once the centre agreed, it gave us leverage to convince state governments. In a couple of years, a dozen states had amended their service terms for their employees.

We did not stop there. My organisation, Bachpan Bachao Aandolan, launched a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about domestic child labour, distributing “My house is child labour free” stickers to lakhs of people. We met leaders of different parties to seek their support and took the matter to the Supreme Court. We also rallied the media, sharing stories of children like Ashraf. Ashraf’s suffering did not go in vain. Finally, after relentless efforts, the government amended the child labour law in 2006, making employment of children in homes a criminal offence.

This historic win wouldn’t have been possible without compassionate leaders like Justice Misra, Justice Malimath, Phooljaha and all others who stood up for Ashraf and other children.

This incident was a powerful example of the disruptive, dynamic, and transformative power of compassion in bringing about policy change. Policy without compassion leaves behind the very people it is meant to serve. Compassion is at the root of social progress, and we must embed it in all spheres, including business, education, healthcare and policy. Compassionate policy levels the playing field. It ensures everyone has a fair shot at dignity and opportunity; empowers vulnerable communities to become co-creators of solutions; and mobilises investment in education, rehabilitation, and inclusion. Compassionate policy guarantees justice, equity, peace, and sustainability.

Lawmakers must ensure dedicated budgets for the marginalised; reallocate funding to education, healthcare, and other social issues; and create safety nets for those denied basic rights. Policy success will depend on how well government departments strengthen coordination. Finally, impact must be measured through well-being indicators, not just economic data. To cultivate compassionate public officials, legislators, and civil servants, compassion must be integrated into their training and continuous evaluation. At the Satyarthi Movement for Global Compassion < class=””>, we are actively working to place compassion at the heart of public service and policymaking.