According to the Human Rights Watch (Article-1) of UN,” A child means every human being below the age of eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.” Childhood is the state of life where love and care are needed greatly. But who cares? None! Children constitute about 35 percent of India’s population and it is national shame that bulk of them still suffer from malnutrition, poverty, diseases, malicious mistreatment through forced child labour and beggary. One of the worst forms of child exploitation is child labour. . It is a disgraceful act that we, the crown of the Nature, take advantage of children for our comforts and benefits. Many children have to work for long hours and are physically abused. The children are engaged in the various large as well as small industries. Their tomorrow is ruined. Child labour is a grave stain on our endeavors in directing India as a go-ahead nation.
According to International Labour Organization (ILO) statistics, India has possibly the largest child labour power in the world, which is around 16.5 million. Off the record, though the estimation is something like 45 million; of which roughly 20 percent are in inner-city regions and what's left is in countryside areas. Nearly 87 percent of the child workers are in rural areas working in farm, plantations, fisheries and cottage industries. Statistics tells an appalling story about Mumbai and Goa. It says that the 20 percent of the 1 lakh prostitutes in Bombay alone are below 18 years of age. In Tamil Nadu children are employed in many small scale match and firework industries. In Varanasi around 30 lakh children work in the sari industry. These are only some examples of child labour. Actually, the said problem is present almost each and every state. As child labour is very economical, each work requires a helping hand of children. It is the time of modernization and globalization. Every work needs a great cheap and dedicated employee. The children are considered a secure dealing. It is unfortunate that in metropolitan cities the children are sexually exploited and labeled as ‘Pleasure Packages’.
In a country like India where a lot of the inhabitants live below the poverty line, it is basically not simple to get rid of this societal problem. The origin of the child labour is always in poverty and to some degree, it lies in unawareness. But, it is a harsh fact that without getting into an employment, these child labourers would have nothing to eat. Their close relatives cannot have enough money to nourish them. They have to simply compel their own offspring to labor. To obtain the indispensable necessity of living, the families overlook all their sense of mortality and quit their broods to work in industrial units and they insist them to drop the schools. These children, left without the valued reminiscences of infancy, mature into ignorant persons with scarcely any variety of cerebral expansion.
According to International Labour Organization (ILO) statistics, India has possibly the largest child labour power in the world, which is around 16.5 million. Off the record, though the estimation is something like 45 million; of which roughly 20 percent are in inner-city regions and what's left is in countryside areas. Nearly 87 percent of the child workers are in rural areas working in farm, plantations, fisheries and cottage industries. Statistics tells an appalling story about Mumbai and Goa. It says that the 20 percent of the 1 lakh prostitutes in Bombay alone are below 18 years of age. In Tamil Nadu children are employed in many small scale match and firework industries. In Varanasi around 30 lakh children work in the sari industry. These are only some examples of child labour. Actually, the said problem is present almost each and every state. As child labour is very economical, each work requires a helping hand of children. It is the time of modernization and globalization. Every work needs a great cheap and dedicated employee. The children are considered a secure dealing. It is unfortunate that in metropolitan cities the children are sexually exploited and labeled as ‘Pleasure Packages’.
In a country like India where a lot of the inhabitants live below the poverty line, it is basically not simple to get rid of this societal problem. The origin of the child labour is always in poverty and to some degree, it lies in unawareness. But, it is a harsh fact that without getting into an employment, these child labourers would have nothing to eat. Their close relatives cannot have enough money to nourish them. They have to simply compel their own offspring to labor. To obtain the indispensable necessity of living, the families overlook all their sense of mortality and quit their broods to work in industrial units and they insist them to drop the schools. These children, left without the valued reminiscences of infancy, mature into ignorant persons with scarcely any variety of cerebral expansion.
In the past, some measures were taken in the developing countries by the developed countries to control this social immorality of child labour. But, there was hardly any impact because of the reason that the developing countries simply did not worry about that. Hence the dilemma continues to grow. The reality that this social vice is inextricably knotted with other familiar problems such as poverty, illiteracy, violence etc makes it a ferocious loop.
Laws were made to remove this social evil and a national organization was set up against child mistreatment. The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act 1986 was enacted. The Act seeks to prohibit employment of children below 14 years in hazardous occupations and processes. Unfortunately these efforts did not bear much fruits. A National Policy on Child Labour was announced in August 1987 then. We know what these acts do for the children. Articles 24 and 39 of the Indian Constitution provides for protection of the children from involvement in activities and from avocations unsuited to their age. But these provisions also remain principle.
The problem of child labour has influenced Indian economy to a great extent. International Labour Rights Funds accused India and warned that if Indian carpet industry does not guarantee the production of goods without involving child labours, Indian products will be boycotted. The strong step taken by European administrations in opposition to import of goods whose manufactures engage child labour compelled the authorities to take some tangible steps to eliminate child labour. Stern measures are being taken such as punishing those who go against the child labour Act.
Education and economic richness is the only key to the complete elimination of the problem of child labour. First of all, it is necessary to identify the hazardous work which exploits children. Secondly, particular attention should be drawn towards the troubles of child labourers. Thirdly, such policies must be put off in which non- formal schooling is allocated to the children for two hours and then they are obliged to labor. Though primary education is free and compulsory, a large number of children do not go to school because the rural India is again caught in vicious cycle of poverty. Child labour is necessary to keep the hearth glowing. It is not a good sign. Child labour creates a face ill equipped in terms of skill to compete in today’s globalized economy. It perpetuates the poverty in general population.
Fourthly, complete exercise of mass communication should be made for wakefulness about the problem of child labour. It is true that it is an assiduous work to eradicate this problem wholly. But we should keep in our mind that the European countries have already destroyed it. We should take a lesson from them. In fact, it is our enthusiasm which determines the level of reduction of this problem. We should take this problem seriously and personally. Our dedication directs the higher goal to achieve the welfare of the whole mankind. We should form responsiveness about the extent of the problem and this can be accomplished through economic liberalization. The Supreme Court gave its historic judgement on 10th December 1996 and ordered the owners to pay Rs 20,000 per child if the defiance of child labour law is set up. In its 36 page judgement, the court noticeably stated that an adult from the family of every child labourer will be given an employment so that parents should not be compelled to send their children to work. Such steps are welcome. Child labour is economically wobbled, psychologically catastrophic and ethically erroneous. It should be stringently banned.
Laws were made to remove this social evil and a national organization was set up against child mistreatment. The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act 1986 was enacted. The Act seeks to prohibit employment of children below 14 years in hazardous occupations and processes. Unfortunately these efforts did not bear much fruits. A National Policy on Child Labour was announced in August 1987 then. We know what these acts do for the children. Articles 24 and 39 of the Indian Constitution provides for protection of the children from involvement in activities and from avocations unsuited to their age. But these provisions also remain principle.
The problem of child labour has influenced Indian economy to a great extent. International Labour Rights Funds accused India and warned that if Indian carpet industry does not guarantee the production of goods without involving child labours, Indian products will be boycotted. The strong step taken by European administrations in opposition to import of goods whose manufactures engage child labour compelled the authorities to take some tangible steps to eliminate child labour. Stern measures are being taken such as punishing those who go against the child labour Act.
Education and economic richness is the only key to the complete elimination of the problem of child labour. First of all, it is necessary to identify the hazardous work which exploits children. Secondly, particular attention should be drawn towards the troubles of child labourers. Thirdly, such policies must be put off in which non- formal schooling is allocated to the children for two hours and then they are obliged to labor. Though primary education is free and compulsory, a large number of children do not go to school because the rural India is again caught in vicious cycle of poverty. Child labour is necessary to keep the hearth glowing. It is not a good sign. Child labour creates a face ill equipped in terms of skill to compete in today’s globalized economy. It perpetuates the poverty in general population.
Fourthly, complete exercise of mass communication should be made for wakefulness about the problem of child labour. It is true that it is an assiduous work to eradicate this problem wholly. But we should keep in our mind that the European countries have already destroyed it. We should take a lesson from them. In fact, it is our enthusiasm which determines the level of reduction of this problem. We should take this problem seriously and personally. Our dedication directs the higher goal to achieve the welfare of the whole mankind. We should form responsiveness about the extent of the problem and this can be accomplished through economic liberalization. The Supreme Court gave its historic judgement on 10th December 1996 and ordered the owners to pay Rs 20,000 per child if the defiance of child labour law is set up. In its 36 page judgement, the court noticeably stated that an adult from the family of every child labourer will be given an employment so that parents should not be compelled to send their children to work. Such steps are welcome. Child labour is economically wobbled, psychologically catastrophic and ethically erroneous. It should be stringently banned.
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