Navdanya, an NGO that runs a bio-diversity conservation programme, had brought 12 such kids from six different villages of Sangrur to Delhi to highlight their plight. They visited the Dilli Haat on Wednesday and will took out a march from Mandi House to Krishi Bhawan on Thursday.

Though Jasbeer, being the eldest among the three, understands the magnitude of the tragedy that has struck them, a smile never leaves her face. Her younger brothers, Gurpreet and Jagtaar, do not remember much about their parents. "We like playing cricket. We play at school whenever we get time," said an excited Gurpreet while Jagtaar was busy teasing other children. It was their first trip out of Punjab and they were happy thinking about that only.

With almost no means of survival and an acutely depressed 80-year-old grandmother in the name of family, these children have learnt to live in the present. When asked about her future plans, Jasbeer said, "I would like to have a job when I grow up. But that's far. Right now, I just want to study as much as I can."

These 12 children can easily be an inspiration for others. Despite all odds, none of them left school. Take for instance, Naresh Khan, who went to take an examination two days after his mother died. "I do not want to become a farmer. It is risky. I would rather study and have a steady job," he said. And then there was Dharminder. His father killed himself in December 2007. "We have a debt of around Rs 2.5 lakh. My father could not even pay back the interest. Strangers used to come to our house and abuse us. They even threatened us many times. Then my father killed himself," said Dharminder. Here he is now, just a few weeks later, hoping to turn the tables around.

Thousands of such children in Sangrur now live at the mercy of neighbours or contribution from various NGOs. When asked about their hobbies, none of them could come up with an answer. The struggle for survival takes up all their time.