While it definitely celebrates human achievement in the face of adversity, the trouble with international recognition of the Nobel Peace Prize is that it holds a mirror to our shortcomings. That is exactly what the honour to Bachpan Bachao Andolan founder, Kailash Satyarthi should do to India.

It is 2014, and still millions of children in the age group of five to 14 are in the informal job market as child labourers. Indeed, a large majority of them are sold as slave labour in urban centres, in farms, in diamond units, in firecracker and garment factories, and there is just no sign of it stopping any moment. This is the cold, hard reality we need to face as a nation.