Sonia, 12, and her younger siblings have been abandoned by relatives and are living alone in a village in Agra
At a village in Uttar Pradesh's Agra, four young siblings live on their own in a shed. They cook their own food and have been told that they will be given Rs 1,000 a month for sustenance.
The oldest is 12-year-old Sonia. She has now become the head of her family, a role thrust upon her after their uncle threw them out. They have been tossed around between relatives since their parents allegedly committed suicide two years ago, driven by poverty and loss of crops.
"I have three children of my own. I don't earn enough to take care of seven children," the uncle, Ramavatar, said.
Suddenly left homeless and hungry, the children - the youngest is six-year-old Rohit - walked to a police station on Tuesday to ask for help. The police took them back to their village and asked the Panchayat or village council to take a decision.
"We decided that they will be given a room and Rs 1,000 a month," the village chief, Ram Jeet, told NDTV. Asked how the children would manage food and other living expenses on their own, and with that money, he shrugged, "The oldest girl can work in the fields and earn money."
The children have been left to fend for themselves in the room on their father's land, right next to their grandparents' home. Sonia is happy just to have a place to stay, even if they are all alone.
"I want to study and see that my brother and sisters study also," she said.
The administration became aware of their story after NDTV's report. "The matter has come to our notice. We will help them in whichever way possible," said District Magistrate Pankaj Kumar. He said an official would visit the siblings soon.