He spent many days and nights tied to a pole by his grandmother. See why the grandmother says she had no choice:
Mumbai (CNN) -- When I first heard that a nine-year-old boy had been found tied to a bus stop in Mumbai, I was surprised. He can't have been, I thought. In Mumbai?
When I found out where the bus stop in question was, I was even more surprised. I pass by that area often. I'd never seen a young boy chained to a pole.
Had I passed by and just not noticed?
Like me, thousands of Mumbaikars didn't see Lakhan Kale, who suffers from cerebral palsy, on the pavement.
According to the last census conducted in 2011, around 26.8 million people are in living with disabilities in India. That's 2.2% of the population of more than 1.2 billion. Other bodies, including the World Bank, say the figure is much higher. Lakhan Kale with his grandmother, Sakkubai.Lakhan Kale with his grandmother, Sakkubai.
However, many of disabled people, like Lakhan, are allowed to quietly fade into the background in a populous country wracked by poverty where the worth and survival of many depends on their ability to work.
Let me tell you Lakhan's story.