Child labor: The wrong we love
About Us | Contact Us | E-Paper
Title :    Text :    Source : 

Child labor: The wrong we love

Though child labor is seen as a crime, it seems that we are yet not prepared to prevent it on ground

Post by on Tuesday, August 31, 2021

First slide
The offense of child labor is found around the world; Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is no exception. Despite the existence of many strict laws against child labor, the number of children working as laborers in various sectors is a reality across the Union Territory/UT. Though child labor is seen as a crime, it seems that we are yet not prepared to prevent it on ground. Hundreds of minor children can be seen doing manual labor in Dhabas, restaurants, railway stations; working as drivers/ conductors and construction workers; pruning apple trees, picking apple fruit, carrying apple boxes and doing other hazardous tasks.  
 
According to the United Nations figures, there are an estimated 152 million children in child labor; 72 million among them are in hazardous work. In the least developed countries, more than one in four children (ages 5-17) are engaged in labor seen as detrimental to their health and development. Africa ranks highest among regions of the number of children in child labor with the figures standing at 72 million. 
 
Asia and the pacific ranks second highest – 7% of all children and 62 million in total are in child labor in the region. Together, Asia, Africa and the Pacific regions contribute nine out of ten children for child labor worldwide. The remaining child labor is provided by America (11 million), Europe and central Asia (6 million) and the Arab states (1 million). In terms of percentage, 5 % children account for child labor in America, 4 % in Europe and Central Asia and 3 % in the Arab states. 
 
Official figures state that about five thousand children are laborors in JK but the independent surveys show that the number could be more than one lakh. As per the census of 2001, 175,000 child laborers were in J&K.  According to a report on child labor in J&K, there are more than one lakh child laborers in the UT, most of whom work in the handcraft sector, automobile workshops, brick kilns, in agriculture and as domestic servants in homes ; thousands of children here are seen working as vendors, bus conductors and auto drivers.
 
Arguably, it is extreme poverty-  in the majority of cases- which pushes children into child labor,  harming their health and depriving them of the right to education. And even if they continue education while working, these children fail to attend schools punctually and regularly. Many parents cite various reasons for sending their children for doing labor- the reasons are from poverty, acquisition of skills, lack of quality education down to the inaccessibility of schools.  
 
While these are valid and sound reasons for parents to see their children doing labor when they should be at school, it is noteworthy that the parents cannot overlook the education, health and happiness of their child laborers for a few rupees: as parents, it is their duty and moral responsibility to look after their children well and ensure that they do not remain illiterate or miss schooling. Children can be engaged in doing tasks which are not harmful to them but forcing them to do hazardous work at the cost of their physical, mental and moral health is against the principles of child care and human rights.
 
Many child laborers have suffered serious injuries: recently, a minor child laborer driving a passenger auto rickshaw met with an accident; he broke his right leg and stayed in bed for about six weeks, losing both education and days of playing (which is essential for his psychological development). 
 
Though no child would be happy to work as a laborer, it is the abject financial position, backwardness and low educational awareness of an area which have pushed children towards labor. Moreover, the ongoing political situation here has added to the number of child laborers: thousands of children have lost their parents and guardians during the conflict and without a breadwinner, these children get trapped in the smithy of child labor aimed at supporting their families.
 
The grave crime of child labor has taken deep roots in J&K despite the existence of statutory laws, anti-child labor rights bodies and commissions plus a mushroom growth of schools:  thousands of children can be seen working at home as domestic servants, as carpet weavers, etc. and outside home in various other sectors. Not stopping the menace raises a question mark on the efficiency and effectiveness of these institutions. 
 
Preventing child labor, that is stopping minor children from hazardous work, is possible if both the society and state work together. But if they address it separately, we will end up in chaos. The government can launch child welfare schemes and rehabilitate child laborers; otherwise, the result can prove devastating, considering the fact that the government apathy is likely to encourage the vice of child labor.
 
Parents, teachers and preachers can play a key role in stopping child labor; they can take care of a child’s health and education. Turning a blind eye to child labor is an invitation to bleak future.
 
(Author is Teacher and RK Columnist. He can be reached at:  Sheikhshabir518@gmail.com)
 

Latest Post