Child labour is a work done by those small children who are yet under-aged as per by law i.e below 18years. .‘Work Done’ mean that work which is done by the under-aged children in factories or showrooms or any other place to earn money to sustain their livelihood or of their families.
CHILD is a word that is used for very young persons “An age to study, play, enjoy and have very big dreams in small eyes”.
Being a resident of remote region Bunjwah and belonging from a middle class family I know feeling of a middle class family that you will be surprised to know this how a middle class families survive their livelihood and what they are dreaming about their children.
Residing in a Republic India then you must have seen such small children working near footpaths. No doubt, Indian government is taking steps to stop “Child Labour” that only remains on papers not in real. Even today in every state, children are working at homes as domestic laborers, industrial labourers not for earning money i.e just for the survival.
“Then what would be the future of India? Is the answer Labour. No we have to come forward to stop it”. Only government is not responsible for such conditions of people. I opine the fact, we the citizens of our country are also responsible for such pitiable condition of children. In such a condition, it becomes our duty to come forward.
Poverty and lack of social security are the main causes of child labour. The increasing gap between the rich and the poor, privatization of basic services and the neo-liberal economic policies causes major sections of the population out of employment and without basic needs. This adversely affects children more than any other group. Entry of multi-national corporations into industry without proper mechanisms to hold them accountable has lead to the use of child labour.
Lack of quality universal education has also contributed to children dropping out of school and entering the labour force. A major concern is that the actual number of child labourers goes un-detected.
Laws that are meant to protect children from hazardous labour are ineffective and not implemented correctly.
A growing phenomenon is using children as domestic workers in urban areas. The conditions in which children work is completely unregulated and they are often made to work without food and very low wages resembling situations of slavery.
In India there are cases of physical, sexual and emotional abuse of child domestic workers. The argument for domestic work is often that families have placed their children in these homes for care and employment.
Centre for child rights, child labour is highest among schedules tribes, Muslims, Schedule castes and OBC children. The persistence of child labour is due to the inefficiency of the law, administrative system and because it benefits employers who can reduce general wage levels. Distinguishing between hazardous and non hazardous employment is counter-productive to the elimination of child labour. Various growing concerns have pushed children out of school and into employment such as forced displacement due to development projects, Special Economic Zones.
“Loss of jobs of parents in a slowdown, Farmers Suicide, Armed Conflict and high costs of Health Care”.
Girl children are often used in domestic labour within their own homes. There is a lack of political to actually see to the complete ban of child labour. Bonded child labour is a hidden phenomenon as a majority of them and are found in the informal sector.
Bonded labour means the employment of a person against a loan or debt or social obligation by the family of the child or the family as a whole. It is a form of slavery. Children who are bonded with their family or inherit a debt from their parents are often found in agricultural sector or assisting their families in brick kilns, and stone quarries that I have eye witnessed from last .
Individual pledging of children is a growing occurrence that usually leads to trafficking of children to urban areas for employment and have children working in small production houses versus factories. Bonded labourers in India are mostly migrant workers, which opens them up to more
exploitation. Also they mostly come from low caste groups such as dalits or marginalised tribal groups. Bonded child labourers are at very high risk for physical and sexual abuse and neglect sometimes leading to death. They often are psychologically and mentally disturbed and have not learnt many social skills or survival skills.
“Can we eliminate child labour and who will fight against Child labour”?
It is a desirable goal the fact remains that in the given socio-economic scenario that is prevalent in our country, it is virtually impossible to do away with child labour. One cannot dispute the fact that employers exploit children by paying them much less than what they would pay in adult and the future of the working children is ruined as they will not be able to attend schools and get educated for a better future. But when one considers the economic compulsions of the families which force the children to work, one will be compelled to admit that elimination of child labour will be a distant dream as long as the socio- economic status of these families is not improved.
Realizing the harm caused by child labour, the Government of India makes laws to protect children from exploitation at work and to improve their working condition. Besides, a comprehensive law called Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act. 1986, was promulgated to prohibit employment of children in certain hazardous occupations and processes. In 1987, the Indian Government formulated National Police on Child Labour to protect the interests of children and focus on general development programmes for the benefit of children. As a part of this policy National Child Labour Projects have been set up in different parts of the country to rehabilitate child labour . Under these projects, special schools are established to prove non-formal education, vocational training, supplementary nutrition etc. to children who are withdrawn from employment.
Though elimination of child labour is an impossible task in the current socio-economic scenario, the Indian Government is committed to the task of ensuring that no child remains illiterate, hungry and without medical care. When this ideal will be achieved is a million dollar question.
The development countries are exerting pressure on developing countries like India to eliminate child labour. According to the current affairs the developed countries may stop imports of those goods that involve child labour in their production. In some of our cottage industries like making of carpets, children are employed in larger numbers.
These carpets, which are being exported, may soon lose their market abroad if the producers of these carpets persist with child labour.
Child labour is, “No doubt an evil that should be done away with at the earliest. The prevalence of child labour reflects very badly on society that is not able to stop this evil”. But in a society where many households may have to suffer the pangs of hunger if the children are withdrawn from work, beggars can’t be choosers. These families have to send their children to work, even if the future of these innocents is ruined, as that is their only choice open for them to survive in this world. Unless the socio-economic status of the poor families is improved, India has to live with child labour.
To stop child labour steps like providing free quality education to poor children, educating people, especially in rural areas about the ill-effects of child labor and creating awareness through education must be taken. Families who do not have any child should come forward to adopt such homeless children so that they must have home and child labour can be stopped. Children (Coming Generation) are the future of any nation and we must give their small eyes big dreams so that they can spread their wings and can fly away in open sky and bring India up to that level where developed nations are on.
( The author is State Secretary All India Reporter Association Jammu and Kashmir / Member at Delhi Crime Press and Incharge Media Cell JK Against Corruption and can be reached at shafqatsheikh00786@gmail.com , 09419974577 , 09018920786 .
