Anti-Child Labour Drive

In many of the developing countries, child labour is rampant. Child Rights Organizations and other NGOs are fighting for stringent anti-child labour laws and the local governments are trying hard to sustain anti-child labour campaigns in cities where the children are lured to work in hazardous industries and in unsafe conditions in zari. leather, tea-stalls, metal works and garages thriving legally or illegally in the slums. Tuberculosis is the common disease prevailing amongst the children.

Small children are employed for house-hold works in many affluent families. Typically, in Mumbai, the thousands of children from poor families from the northern states form a major cheap work force. The children are treated badly and often made to work for hours together in unhygienic conditions without proper food and shelter. Generally, employers do not like the children keeping contact with their parents or strangers.

Legally, one can not be listed in any workforce if one is below 18 years of age. But the poverty and in the absence of any other options, parents do not mind sending their children for earning a living and support their family. Their idea is anything is better than starvation. Education is out of bounds for most of these small children.

Governments are trying to rescue these children during frequent so-called sustained anti-child labour campaigns. Rehabilitation of the “rescued” children is an arduous task indeed. Often, the children do not want to go back to their families and the hard life back home. The children feel that they are better off in the city than at home in villages.

The local government plan is to offer families of the rescued children “scholarships” for the child’s education. Many questions are raised, such as ensuring the proper use of the funds for the purpose of education, medical care for the children, providing skilled job opportunities, etc. What sort of future we are planning for these children?