Child Labour - Time to Weed out the Evil

  •   Wed, Jun 12 2013
  •   By Anvita Pereira

June 12, 2013
(World Day Against Child Labour)


Every child has a dream. It may be a big or a small one, but each child has a goal and wants to achieve it. But many children just dream to have a good life, one that includes laughter, toys, someone to share their emotions with and lots of love and care.

Many children at times receive more than what they wished for, but many more dreams out there just fade away into oblivion.

Child labour is a black spot that dominates India. The substitution of work for play, a life of sacrifice instead of love, a life which costs them their right to education can be a described as child labour.

The basic foundation of an individual is education. Many children receive the best of facilities while many get nothing at all. There are a few instances wherein two children, from different backgrounds, more or less of the same age stay under the same roof, but the rich boy goes to school while the other child, the less fortunate one ends up working at the rich child’s house.

Why is the child not being given education? Is it his that fault that he comes from a poor background? If such children are not given an opportunity to get out of the tough living, not given the right education then poverty will always remain a problem for India.

Children are the future and at this rate India will not develop to a great extent. Before employing a child for work, do think about the reason why aren't you asking your own child to do the work. Then you will realize what the child is going through.

The government has provided various schemes and enforced laws, which also state that education is compulsory for every individual, various plans and helplines have been set up reaching the nooks and corners of India.

The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986 clearly says that no child below 14 years can be made to work. Opportunities for women and children have been provided with free education, mid day meals, transport and various other facilities. Despite all this, child labour exists and is dominating the country.

The government is playing its role, but a drastic change can be seen only when people also take part actively. Like the saying goes, it’s impossible to clap with just one hand, government as well as the people should take equal interest and work as one family.

Some of the children sometimes escape from education and say they do not have enough money and hence resort to work. It should be a combined initiative from the child, parents and society to help the child grow appropriately.

NGOs and certain charities do help out by doing their bit but certain myths and forms in life must change for the better.The changes can be brought in through media, movies or campaigns. Bollywood introduced movies like 'Traffic Signal' and 'Kavi' and although they weren't accepted well by the box office, movies with such realistic themes must be promoted.

In some cases, the parents use the children as a source of income, make the children slog and work, wherein at times the children are exposed to many problems and have to live far away from their house. It is very depressing that we get to see all this in India, but this is happening just because we are let it happen.

A child is a symbol of love and should be loved and not punished. Work is something one should do out of interest and not out of compulsion or force.

A child doesn't ask or require anything more than a mother’s tight cuddle, a father’s shoulder  for support  and petty fights with siblings. Providing these things should never be a problem and these demands cost nothing. So love children and respect them, because if you’re the cause for a child to shed a tear, it is nothing short of a crime.


 
By Anvita Pereira
Anvita Pereira is a student of St Aloysius College, Mangalore
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Comment on this article

  • M Rao, Mangalore

    Fri, Jun 14 2013

    There can be no denial that the children shouldn't be robbed off their child-hood by making them to work.

    But at the same time, one should understand the reality. If these children, who are forced to work due to their economic/socio situations is denied this opportunity to make little earning to support themselves, it leads them to further hardships. One should see the self respect these working children develop as they live on their own.

    It is welcome, if Government can take care of such children by providing free shelter/education.

    If above Government can not do this, these children should be allowed to work in non-hazardous industries like hotel/bakery/cloth shops etc. They cannot be robbing their lively-hood and not providing alternative.

    The real culprits are the parents.

  • austin, mangalore

    Fri, Jun 14 2013

    Just like working by children below 14 years is illegal, even begging by children should be made illegal. There is a huge mafia in India, which steals innocent children maims them (by gouging the eyes, cutting the arms legs etc) and put them into begging. To avoid any problems these child beggars are continuously doped with narcotics and fed very badly. You might have seen many of the child beggars are always half sleepy. Same is the case with infant carried by women beggar. In many cases they may not be their child at all. The alms begged by these child beggars go to the mafia bosses. Child beggars are sexually abused during their childhood days by the mafia. Once the girls reach puberty they are put in sex trade and the boys are sent as pimps. Currently the mafia steals the children from rural areas and slums, where parents are not financially strong to pursue the cases. In some instances the mafia has stolen children from middle class families also. Imagine this happening to your and our precious children. At least in the case of child laborers, there is an adult life for them. But in the case of the child beggars, they are living corpses. Whole life is snatched from them. These children live the life of battery chicken. In fact they never live. Imagine lives of number of children lost forever by this begging mafia. While we as ordinary citizens have little control over this we as citizens can reduce this by not giving alms to child beggars. Hence do not give alms to them

  • kurt waschnig, Oldenburg Germany

    Thu, Jun 13 2013

    Thank you Anvita for this article. And as an avid reader of Daijiworld I would to ask you to publish more reports on child labour to make the public more aware and sensitive.
    For some time, child labour has been recognised as a key issue of human rights at work together with freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining, the abolition of forced labour, and non-discrimination in occupation and employment.
    However, despite the large social reform movement that has been generated around this issue,more than 200 million children worldwide are still in child labour and a staggering 115 million at least, are subject to its worst form according to the International Labour Organisation.
    The global campaign to end child Labour is at a critical juncture. As the new Global Report under the follow-up to the ILO Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work shows, child labour continues to decline worldwide, but at a much slower pace than before.
    According to the report “Accelerating action against Child Labour” there are clear signs of progress but also disconcerting gaps in the global response.
    There have been a number of leadership initiatives over the past years and important achievements in advocacy, enhanced partnerships, support of corporate social responsibility, data collection and research.
    Perhaps the most important step forward has been the overwhelming global consensus in support of Education for All movement. Governments have options when it comes to policy choices and budgetary allocations. The current global economic crisis cannot serve as an excuse to shift priorities. A world free of child labour is possible.
    Let us try to become this dream reality. Nowadays we have the opportunities to achieve this wonderful goal.



    Best regards


    Kurt Waschnig Oldenburg Germany


    email: oldenburg1952@yahoo.de

  • Lancy, Mangalore

    Thu, Jun 13 2013

    Good article..It is only through education and serious governmental efforts, the problem of child labour can be solved in our country.

  • elveera, kankanadi

    Thu, Jun 13 2013

    Anvita, good article. Congratulations.
    Education only can solve this problem. NGO's can help

  • Roshan Braganza, Mumbai

    Wed, Jun 12 2013

    I have seen movie 'trafic signal ' , one of best work but sadly tanked at box office. Child labour has positive sides as it gives a chance for abandon childrens to earn and make life it. The point is environment they work in , like chemical factrories , crackers godowns which can challenge their health. Suitable renumeration should be given , some peaple prefer child labour because they r cheap , which is clear violation of human rights. Its impossible to habilitate all street or poor children , so if they can earn their livelyhood but in right environment with deserving renumeration is good for society.

  • Anil Dsouza, Halealve

    Wed, Jun 12 2013

    Education , education and only education can solve child labour . How ? Education should lead to population control which in turn would eliminate half of the problems faced by our country


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