30 May,2011 08:23 AM IST | | A Correspondent
The inhuman practice of child labour has assumed menacing proportions in Indian society. You can help the cause by keeping an eye out from victims, and notifying concerned authorities
The protest against child labour, one of the most menacing and pervasive evils that afflict the fabric of Indian society, has been resumed with renewed vigour. Director Amol Gupte took to the streets, along with 300 kids, to protest the inhuman practice of child labour that is rampant in the streets of Mumbai. According to the popular organisation Child Relief and You (CRY), India, quite appallingly, is the hazardous home to the highest number of child labourers in the world. Children account for three per cent of the total workforce in India. More disturbingly, nearly 86 per cent of this under-age workforce does not receive basic education that will enable to live better lives once they are adults.
Illustration/Jishu Dev Malakar, compiled by Poornima
Swaminathan
Any child below the age of 14 years that is employed is considered a child labourer, and the act of employing such an individual is an offence, considered punishable by law. According to experts, children are often pushed into the work force by their parents, who are victims of abject poverty. These children find their way into zari units, tea stalls, firework industries, or even households, in the form of domestic help.
You may be wondering how it is legal for a Justin Bieber or a Selena Gomez to enter into the professional arena at such a tender age. In fact, experts have explained two different cases. According to them, there is a marked difference between children being compelled into labour due to social circumstances, and children working voluntarily in order to develop their exceptional talents or skills. In countries abroad, children are allowed to work of their own volition, but the law requires them to be given breaks every five hours.
According to Santosh Shinde, founder of Balprafultta, an NGO that works to eradicate child labour, roughly around 70,000 children are part of the workforce in Mumbai, many of whom work under extremely gruelling circumstances in hazardous industries. "Many of these labourers suffer physical abuse at the hands of their employers. If one notices children at work anywhere, he or she must not turn a blind eye to it," urged Shinde.
He added that there is a high demand for children in unorganised sectors, especially in jewellery and apparels making units, as children, having nimble fingers can easily adapt to the demands required by the industries.
Kishore Jagtiani, another social worker, said, "If one spots a hotel or business unit employing children, he or she must immediately inform the owner that he is engaging in an illegal practice. People should warn the employers about the consequences of engaging child labourers. They must also boycott the place, so that the business suffers. This will make the owner think twice," said Jagtiani. He added that such campaigns could easily be carried out in local neighbourhoods, and awareness created about the cause.
Currently, the Juvenile Justice Act demands that children who are rescued from hazardous situations be kept in children's protection homes, until they are eventually sent back to their respective homes and united with their families. "For those children whose families cannot be traced, the state has tied up with NGOs in order to ensure that they are provided with necessary care," added Shinde.
The government, taking serious note of the many evils and atrocities associated with child labour, has introduced two schemes to root out this evil practice from the face of society--these are the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and the Midday Meal (MDM) scheme. Under SSA, free education is provided to every child between six and fourteen years of age. The MDM scheme, on the other hand, focuses on methods that will help retain the children in school, once they are enrolled. This is done by providing nutritious food to students upto the upper primary classes. This scheme has been applied in all schools in the educationally backward sections of society and other government aided schools.
Join theu00a0movement
If you notice a child under the age of 14 years an exploitative situation, call 1098. This number, known as Childline, connects you to a 24-hour helpline that rescues children who are in distress and in need of care and protection.
No child's play
Every year, the Mumbai police rescues roughly about 500 children, and restored them to their homes. The government also runs children's homes for those in need of care and protection. It also has a task force that is deployed to conduct raids and rescue work whenever information is received about cases of exploitation and abuse. Once busted, the employer can face rigorous imprisonment unto three years, and has to pay a hefty fine of Rs 20, 000, for every child that is employed in his unit.
Fighting for child rights
1) u00a0Bombay Mothers Children Welfare Society BDD Chawl No 10, N M Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400013
Telephone: 23082085
2) Campaign Against Child Labour C/o Yuva, 53/2 Nare Park Municipal School Bldg, Opp Shirodkar Vidyalaya, Parel (E), Mumbai 400012
3) Child Rights and You 189/A Anand Estate, Sane Guruji Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai, 400011
4) Magic Bus 233, Adhyaru Industrial Estate, Sunmill Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg Lower Parel, Mumbai - 400013 Telephone number: 24346710
