|
Say No to Child Labour
June 12, was observed as Anti-Child Labour Day, with the lead taken by NGO, Child Rights & You (CRY), India's leading advocate of child rights, in the city. In an official release, CRY pointed out that there are 17 million child labourers in the country, an official number Indians can never be proud of. Though the government has taken steps and imposed bans on certain industries employing child labour, yet obviously this has failed to deliver the expected results.
The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986, together with all other legislations , cover only 15% of the total child labour population in the country keeping out sectors like agriculture that employs close to 80% of the child labour. "Since the 1990s, Census data has only shown increase in number of child labour across the country. So have years of changing governments ever intended to eradicate the issue from its roots?" asks Ila Hukku, Director - Development support, Child Rights and You.
Regina Thomas, Regional Director - South, CRY adds, "According to Census, 2001, there were 1.27 crore child labourers in India. Another 37 lakh children were seeking jobs. Even these figures were an underestimate, based on a narrow definition of child labour, where child is defined as persons of age 5-14 years (and not 5-18 years), and "labour" is defined narrowly as 'economic activities'. Such a definition has a potential to exclude a number of children's activities that are irregular and unremunerated, as well as the work performed in spaces such as on the street, within homes and farms".
These numbers are not just statistics but are tangible and visible everywhere. Bans are necessary but can only address the problem partially. The need of the hour is to recognize that child labour is a manifestation of poverty and inequity in society. This is the root cause and unless tackled, the numbers will keep growing.
The State must wake up to the need to fight poverty by tackling inequality that stems from inaccessible, low quality, and discriminatory schooling for a large section of children; the lack of employment and living wages for adults; lack of remunerative prices for primary products and lack of market access; lack of access to credit, lack of a concerted social welfare scheme to safeguard against hunger, illness and customary requirements; corruption and apathy among government officials; and historical socio-economic relationships based on the hierarchy of caste, class and gender. Child labour is the direct impact of these discriminations on the children.
The solution may seem long-term and unfeasible when combined with political apathy. Yet, 60 years of scheme after scheme and bans without talk of rehabilitation have shown, children and their parent's joint futures are uncertain and vulnerable. Political will mobilized by citizens and media activism can change this.
|
