TEN GREAT ESCAPES TRUE STORIES OF RUNAWAY CHILDREN

Category Non-Fiction
Format Paperback
Imprint Rupa
Price 295

ISBN: 978-93-5702-947-6
Pages: 184 pages
Date: 5th October 2023

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Jithin’s parents locked him up immediately after he survived a brutal sexual assault, which eventually
led him to attempt suicide.
The angry red welts on Babu’s and Suresh’s bodies are an instance of the barbaric acts committed
by these child slaves’ employer, who happens to be their ‘family friend’.
Amir was driven away from home by his mother’s incessant criticism of his academic performance
and increasingly draconian behaviour towards him.
Despite hopes of home as a haven of safety and happiness, the reality these individuals faced was
far from idyllic, which forced them to run away.

Runaway children often become easy prey for sexual predators, drug peddlers and human traffickers,
exploiting their vulnerability. Abandoned and lost, their dream of a better life turns to dust as they
are caught in a web of exploitation, struggling for even basic necessities.
Hariharan S. was once a runaway child, and has now made it his life’s mission to give such children
a better life. In Ten Great Escapes, he recounts such unbelievable real stories with the hope of
igniting empathy within the individuals and society, spurring them to stand up and support such
vulnerable children.
These narratives stand as a testament that with a little help from someone who cares, anyone can
conquer despair and achieve their dreams.

AUTHOR OF THE BOOK

Hariharan Subramanian, the founder of Children Reunited, rescues, rehabilitates and reunites runaway
children with their families. His organization has helped more than 30,000 runaway children—who
land up in various railway stations in Maharashtra—escape exploitation.
Hari has also established free clinics for children in Kerala and Maharashtra and sponsors the skill
development of around 4,000 children throughout India. He also set up Street Children Foundation.
As a member of Children’s Aid Society, Government of Maharashtra, he has been entrusted with
the running of a boarding school for 150 children in Wada.
His philanthropic endeavours include distributing close to 1,000 free daily meals to guardians of
patients at Thane Municipal Hospital, which has now been extended to include senior citizens and
people who are blind, deaf and mute living alone in nearby areas.
Hari is planning to gradually add all major Indian railway stations for his rescue work and creating
public awareness towards reducing the number of runaways. His upcoming movie titled ‘Otta’ (A
Loner) with the Oscar-winning sound engineer Resul Pookutty at the helm is one such awareness
initiative.
Born in Palakkad, he completed his MBA in Marketing and Finance from the University of Pune
and launched a BPO—Pace Setters Business Solutions Pvt. Ltd.—which has a present headcount of
more than 6,000 people.
His first book Runaway Children came out in 2015. Ten Great Escapes is his second non-fiction.
Reach him on Instagram @childrenreunitedindia.