TALK ABOUT CHILD LABOUR

CHILD LABOUR

         IntroductionChild Labour refers the work done by under age children in order to live an ordinary life with essential needs. Instead of enjoying their moments of childhood, they are being forced to do work as Child Labour in an unhealthy environment. No parent want that their children work as a labour in their little age instead of playing, enjoying or getting good education for just getting a few amount in rupees; but still they are forced to do it due to the bad circumstances.Child trafficking has been the main concern for Indian government since 1980s; thus,the percentage of labour child is declining day by day but this major crime is still not stopped completely.

           There areso many workspaces where this non-acceptable crime occurs like agriculture, house hold activities, restaurants and dhabas, real estate, unsafe manufacturing industries (glass, match box, fireworks or coal mines), etc.Laws made by Government to Stop Child LabourSeveral rules and regulations are being created and implemented time to time to end this evil “child labour”. These are “Factories act in 1948”, “Mines act in 1952”, “The Child Labour Prohibitation act in 1986”, “TheJuvenille Justice of Children act” in 2000, “The Right of children to free and compulsory education act” in 2009, and “Child and Adolescent Labour Law in 2012”. Finally on April 2015, Union cabinet has given permission to work done by children below age 14 in non hazardous work places which does not affect their education and under 17 in hazardous work too. In case of first offence if this crime happens, penalty is about 50K Rs and in second, if attempt iscontinued, it is converted to one to three years of imprisonment.Causes and Consequences of Child Labour in IndiaIndia is the 2ndlargest populated country in the worldand also ranks on 2ndnumberwhere child labour happens.

            The main question comes intoour mind after hearing about the child labour is that “Who isResponsible”? After deep research, we find that main cause for existences of this major crime is extreme poverty, shortage of good primary education centres, increased population, growth of informal economy, ignorance of rules and laws that has been made to prevent“child labour” and increasing demand of labour at low payment. Generally, this crime is done by those greedy industrialists who want their work to be done with less or without cost.

           Some of poor parents don’t understand how much their children are affected by this crime regarding their physical, moraland mental development. A child is the future citizen of the country and getting education, playing, enjoying childhood is the birth right of his/her. If a child has secure, healthy and educated future then automatically it will improve our nation’s informal economy.

          What are the Solutions to this Problem?Several governmental and nongovernmental organizations are working for saving every child’s future. As a citizen of the country, we should also take necessary steps on our personal, professional and social level to stop this problem “Child Labour” by not allowing children under 14 in our household activities and by complaining if we find under age children working in nearbyareas. These nongovernmental organizations (NGO’s) help needy people in manner to provide them free education through various facilities suchas mid day meal, shelter, food,work options for their parents with healthy environment, etc. Some of the nongovernmentalorganizations are “Bachpan bachao Aandolan”, “Care India”, “Talaash Association”, “Ride India”, “Child Fund”, etc. Government has also emphasised this issue on a high level by implementing effective programs and schemes like “Integrated ChildDevelopment Services”, “Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahna Yozna” and many else.Child Population that is stuck in “Child Labour”Census 2011 says that even after declining the rate of childlabour by 65%, it is found that around 5 million children (withage 5 to 14) are trapped in thisnon acceptable crime, in which girls are two times morethan boys who are working in domestic services. According to the National Survey SampleOrganization, ratio of child labour in Muslim category is 40% higher than Hindus and category of Dalit has child labour rate about 2.8% and Trible category with higher percentage rate with 3.8%. In conclusion, one in every eleven child in India is engaged in child labour.

          ConclusionChildhood is the biggest important phase of a child’s life and considered as an initial learning period for them which directly affects their future. Children require love, care, education, health, moralsand financially secure future from their parents, and if a parent is not capable to give them such life; it gives rise to the “child labour”.