Some people visit houses with pamphlets either to dubiously propagate a religion or to sell certain products. One such visitor was to highlight the childlabour. I asked him, are we not engaging our youngones in our household activities like sweeping and cleaning, cutting vegetables, small shoppings etc. This man's idea was to gain sympathy for such unknown children and collect some funds. Then came another information-woes of some mothers from southern parts of India. The ladies were preparing coconutleaf mats and making their earnings. Their daughters were sent to schools and colleges out of these earnings. They graduated but did not get any employment. The educated girls did not want the traditional job anymore. The mothers are just worried. They have to work hard to feed the educated children.
RE:child labour
by Naveen Bhatt on Feb 13, 2008 11:17 AM
Wow, what an apologetic for child labour. Comparing small kids working 17 hours to "sweeping and cleaning, cutting vegetables, small shoppings", maybe a total of 30 mins? This person seems to revel in child labour. Shame.
we dont force the law and its very easy to bribe the authorties. No use in identifying the stores in US or elsewhere, ofcourse they can not keep a 24/7 watch on these people.
I am a Keralite, and I can attest to the fact that Kerala has eliminated child labor for the most part (not completely though). This is because Kerala govt. has intervened proactively, the social organisations have done their job and the police and the judiciary and the general public is well aware of this injustice. If Kerala can do it, other states can do it too. In Kerala, people protest for silly reasons, but they protest and intervene when people see children being misused also. So next time when you see a child being abused, please stand up for them.
For those who support employing children: In most cases, these kids are working as slaves, with no human rights or dignity. Don't try to whitewash it as "employment", because the basic tenants of employment are not ment. This is slavery and exploitation. So next time, don't turn your head away when you see a child worker. Try to creat awareness among people whom you can influence. Let us all teach our kids the value of human life, so that in the next 100 years, we can hope of being free of this gross injustice in our society.
RE:Yes, we can influence!
by smarty princess on Mar 04, 2008 03:38 PM
to be frank i saw a child labourer employed in my neighbour hood my mom talked to him and he said hed run away and go back to his village but the problem is that that family would employ another one and i want to teach them a lesson what should i do even if the child runs away where would he go ????contact immediately
RE:Yes, we can influence!
by abc on Feb 13, 2008 12:04 AM
Interesting. So what does Kerala do to support these kids? Do you create govt. jobs where proper employment rules can be implemented? or do you give them a monthly allowance? How do you ensure that these kids get three square meals after being laid off due to govt. efforts? I'm not criticing but rather curious to see how it works
RE:Yes, we can influence!
by Sudeep on Feb 13, 2008 12:30 AM
First of all, most of the child laborers are from other states. You will hardly see a child laborer who speaks Malayalam. I am not typing this to prove the superiority of Keralites or anything. But because of the high school enrollment and high awareness and the pressure from the society, Keralites will never pull their children from school and send them to work. Hell, our adults don't have jobs, there is no chance that kids will get jobs..just kidding.
Most of the child laborers I have seen are from other states, sold by their parents or migrated en masse in search of jobs. I think in Kerala, it worked in multiple ways:
First, as a society, we look down upon people who employ child laborers. And somebody is going to tip off the authorities. There were lots of incidents where benevolent families "adopted" such children and given them education and shelter. Kerala tired to plug the demand for child laborers by strict implementation of labor standards, so there is not much benefit from employing child laborers. Only benefit of using child laborers is that you can get away with a lot of stuff, for example, non payment of wages, long work hours and physical abuse. Once these "benefits" are taken away, there is no incentive in employing child labor. There are lot of NGOs who run shelters for such kids, and give them an opportunity to learn. The mid day meal program in Kerala schools provide free lunch and milk for all enrolled kids. The minimum wages for a casual labor
RE:Yes, we can influence!
by Sudeep on Feb 13, 2008 12:38 AM
...is 200 rupees, so a small family can live comfortably without the need for their children to work. But most importantly, change should come from within. Child labor can be abolished only when PARENTS of these child laborers realise their mistake. It is an attitude change, and society needs to force such a change. Governments can hardly change any practice, if people are not willing. WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT, SO WE SHOULD CHANGE FIRST!
RE:Yes, we can influence!
by Naveen Bhatt on Feb 13, 2008 11:20 AM
Great comment. Agree with you. We have to do something to eradicate mindnumbing poverty before child labour can be stopped.
RE:RE:Hi! iam from andhra pradesh. i wanna report two child labour cases.I searched many sites invain. I searched district labour authority but of no use
by nivedita on Feb 13, 2008 08:30 AM
To report cases of child labour, one can contact the Child labour officer or the co-ordinator of the National Child Labour Project (Project Director, Bala Karmika Vidyalaya Padakam) who is designated at the district level. Also in Andhra Pradesh, MVFoundation has been doing some excellent work as regards child labour. YOu could even refer such cases to them
RE:Hi! iam from andhra pradesh. i wanna report two child labour cases.I searched many sites invain. I searched district labour authority but of no use
by Narendra on Feb 13, 2008 12:09 PM
MV Foundation is cheat. Read latest report of auditor & comtroler general. They are fudging numbers and mis appropriating government grants
RE:Hi! iam from andhra pradesh. i wanna report two child labour cases.I searched many sites invain. I searched district labour authority but of no use
by samarame on Feb 13, 2008 10:36 PM
Thanks to both of u.
Has anyone given any thought to what would happen to the entire rural and unorganized economy if child labour was well and truly eliminated!!
How more millions of unemployed and starving people would roam India, joining the ranks of the dispossed if people who WANT to work are being prevented from Working??
Is there any alternative for them?? Is the Govt. guaranteeing jobs? Employment??
What nonsense - not premitting those who WANT to work - not to work!!!
A few years ago - I had a job in Mumbai and hired a man from mirzapur. His previous job had lapsed due to one self appointed "Swami" Angivesh (god knows what his true calling in life is). His anti-child labour preaching in India and in the West led to a collapse in carpet exports.
As a reults - thousands of families starved. Carpet export fell.
Now how many of these kids joined the maoists - I do not know. But Mirzapur today is a hotbed of maoists.
Most urban dwellers have no clue about life in villages or their needs.
Sure - legislate. Ban Child labor.
Give them one more grouse. "I want to work - but the Govt wont let me!!"
And ill informed and ill educated journos such as Megha Bahree of Forbes are going to be responsible (in part) for the spread of more strife, corruption and maoism in India.
RE:Millions of more unempolyed - due to govt fiat!!
by Vidya K on Feb 12, 2008 09:34 PM
Well written..no point banning child labor..what is the alternative for these children..is the Govt. or NGOs doing something which along with educating them also provides them with a livelihood??
RE:Millions of more unempolyed - due to govt fiat!!
by RajneeshChandraMohan Jain on Feb 12, 2008 09:57 PM
I don't know about other states. But In Tamil Nadu any one below age 16 can enroll in 1st Standard. And Lunch is always free. There is separate class for children 2-3 years higher than their peers.
RE:RE:Millions of more unempolyed - due to govt fiat!!
by on Feb 13, 2008 11:15 AM
No point in banning child labour? You haven't seen the conditions some of these kids work in. Cramped in a room with 20 other kids, where they work, eat and sleep. They may only leave that room to be physically and sexually abused by their captors. They're so malnourished that 12-year-old boys look like they're 8. These kids don't receive an education or proper training, which perpetuates a cycle of poverty that will trap generations in servitude.
You want to know if anyone is actually doing something about it?
Global March Against Child Labour is working with organisations worldwide to provide public awareness campaigns and pressure the United Nations and national governments to implement legislation banning the employment of children, particularly for labour that is harmful to their physical wellbeing.
Bachpan Bachao Andolan last week rescued 142 bonded child labourers from workshops in Delhi, and approximately 500 across the rest of India. The have created 3 "villages" where the rescued children are counseled and rehabilitated. They are given an education, and the older children (14-16)are trained so that they have employment prospects when they are older. They have a network of guardians and advisors for the rest of their lives, and a number of former child labourers now hold key leadership positions in the organisation. The children also receive, in accordance with Indian legislation, monetary benefits from the government.
RE:Millions of more unempolyed - due to govt fiat!!
by Narendra on Feb 13, 2008 12:12 PM
Check what happened to those 'RESCUED' children. They are back to work. This looks good on paper and in media but does not do any good other than building careers of the NGO activists
1. IS it Child Labour? Or EMPLOYMENT for a starving family?
2. Child labour laws makes law enforcers richer with more bribes!!
3. Starving Kids - get less money! Their pay goes for corruption.
4. No child works because he WANTS to - but because he HAS to. Else the child STARVES.
5. Charles Dickens Britan - had child labour. There is child labor in India. We are 100 years behind UK - remember!
6. A more pertinent question is: What happens to Billions of Taxes meant for poverty alleviation, education & healtcare and how it is siphoned off by corrupt politicians and bureaucrats.
Corruption and incompetence - a cancer which has afflicted every part of India. The reaction is manifesting itself in the form of Communism, Maoism and etc. Not that these movements will bring any relief. They simply replace one set of rulers with another; with no change in the root causes of poverty - Russia and West Bengal (Nandigram) are apt examples.
We need to cure the disease - poverty. Not Child labour - which is the symptom of poverty. Banning child labor does not eliminate poverty.
Change happens in slow, incremental degrees. Not by the stroke of a pen or a passing of a LAW.
Development will happen in India in degrees.
If simply we reinvest just 20% of our annual taxes into appropriate poverty alleviation, education and micro finance schemes - poverty will disappear - slowly and with it child labor.
RE:Child Labour or Employment?
by Meenakshi Kumar on Feb 13, 2008 12:01 AM
In western language this means self support.America boasts of well placed children supporting themselves,but in India this is termed as child labour exploitation.So long as there is no exploitation and the children's education ,development and health are not affected I don't see much reason in fussing around.When children in educated households are expected to do somehousehold chores why not a poor needy child undertake some chores to earn a living.
RE:Child Labour or Employment?
by Calspadeaspade on Feb 13, 2008 01:38 AM
The problem is when these kids are abused and have to work full time instead of going to school. If there is away to force these kids to go to school with with mid day meals and work part time that would be acceptible.
RE:Child Labour or Employment?
by on Feb 13, 2008 11:30 AM
Part of the reason children are forced to work to help support their family is because their parents can't find jobs, yes? They feel that their children can supply extra income to help support the family. But the parents can't find jobs because children are being used as slave labour and therefore represent a cheaper means by which the products or services are provided. It is not profitable to hire adults if you can get kids to do it for less or even free. Child labour is both a symptom and cause of poverty. Poverty is an EXCUSE for child labour. While child labor may increase household-income and contribute to its survival in the short run, it tends to have the opposite effect for future generations.
Just because "Charles Dickens Britain" had child labour doesn't India has to - India doesn't have to repeat the mistakes of the rest of the world just because it wants its turn. Development can happen in many ways. There is no evidence to support the theory that children must work for a thriving industry until economic growth and technological advancements replace them. Historically, the elimination of child labor and its replacement with universal education has contributed to the economic growth of countries. Child labor reflects underinvestment in education and the future of a nation. Education is at the heart of development.
Corruption is indeed an important issue. But the general public also needs to be aware that it's not OK to sell their children into servitude. They ne
Government should distribute 20 kg rice or wheat at Rs 2 per kg per ration card through Public Distribution System
1. Will have a 'cascading' effect on remaining food items and will help in reducing the prices and inflation. 2. Will create 'demand' for agricultural products and will 'prevent' farmers suicide. 3. Will prevent 350 million Indians 'starving' every day for a 2nd meal.
Such system will prevent all socioeconomic issues in India viz farmer suicides, dowry deaths, child labor, fear, frustration, corruption, bribery, prostitution, terrorism etc.
RE:Government should distribute 20 kg rice or wheat at Rs 2 per kg per ration card through Public Distribution System
by Sree Red on Feb 13, 2008 02:33 AM
Your idea will not work. The PDS is one of the most corrupted in our country. They will make sure that the good quality grain is sold in the open market and sell substandard stuff (there is a lot of food rotting in the FCI warehouses) to people. This has happened before. History will repeat itself.
It is very sad to say that no govt has done anything to curb child labour. Also if you look at all major traffic signals & rly stations, there are lots of children at very tender age stand for begging, even with holding infants. nobody cares. govt with ngo's and corporate world should come forward and take care of these less fortune children and people who lives below poverty line. Until, this we cannot become a self reliant super power which is a dream of our great ex president apj abdul kalam.
uf! i got bore while reading this lengthy article, but in short i would like to say that it is very easy to say but difficult to act. if we stop child labour then who will feed them and theire family. 1st arrange the facility then ask for stop child labour. the person who give them work is really helping the poor child not the govt or NGOs
RE:kitna bada article hai
by Rajadhiraja on Feb 12, 2008 06:01 PM
Hi Ajay,
My name is Ajay too. Brother, sorry to tell you we have many govt. schools were there is no fee, free books, breakfast and mid day meal. If they beg there is no guarantee they would earn even breakfast but in case if they go school they get all the above things free of cost. I do understant all the above amenities have to be expedited but just want to let you know that facilities are there but these beggars are enjoying their own freedome and wish...
RE:kitna bada article hai
by ravi singh on Feb 12, 2008 11:40 PM
Dear friend Rajadhiraja, no doubt what u say is right abt some schools where there is free meals and no fees, i accept and appreciate that, but let me tell u that childrens dont work coz they want to or if they need food for them..but its their poor parents who wants food and money and hence wants their children to work...well its a sickness to our country, and this corrupt govt will just talk. lets individually do what we can to help and cure this disease...... what can i say!!!I'LL TRY MY BEST!!! instead of waiting and expecting something that others will do.
