In the first of its kind, a child of 18 odd months of age was allegedly murdered a few days ago in district Budgam area. The child’s throat reportedly was slit, sending shock waves across and underscoring the need of a thorough probe into the stunning incident. As children are esteemed as our hope going forward, it is essential to protect them from abuse and exploitation in everyday life. This chiefly includes saving them from hazardous labor; not just the security of their life against the icy hands of death.
We all seek the best for our children. Most parents strive to see their children on the road to success. Wise and more affectionate parents do not walk away from gifting a dose of guidence, support and motivation to their children regardless of the latter’s position. All for the wellbeing of their children.
The celebration of Children’s day every year signals the profound importance that children merit in our life. But do we eschew the violation of human rights with respect to children in real life situations? Lofty claims and sermons end in smoke when what we preach is not practiced.
If a comfortable classroom educates children at school, this is upholding of their human rights. And the honest observation of Children’s day! If a child is prevented from plucking apples, carrying apple boxes or pruning trees or other risky activities, we will be respecting the children’s day in essence.
Observed across India on 14 November every year on the birthday of the First Prime Minister of Independent India Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru — famed for his fondness of children — the red letter day ostensibly provides education about the rights and welfare of children. The day witnesses a myriad of educational and motivational programs held around India in honor of children.
Plenty of legislative pieces against child labor are in hand; yet child workers in various sectors exist across this erstwhile state. Though the menace is largely seen as an offence, it seems that we, as one people, are yet not prepared to ditch it in its multiple forms. Dhabas, restaurants, railway stations employ them; also they are seen working as drivers/ conductors and construction workers and pruning apple trees, picking apple fruit, carrying apple boxes and doing other hazardous tasks.
Many do begging — mostly girls. Recently, this columnist came across a girl child begging bare-footed and scanty clothed. Her plight is symptomatic of a deep seated moral bankruptcy. It is a reprehensible act to see the childhood and innocence of children tossed out of the window when they are sent to work to earn. Educated and wealthy members of society — whose apparent commitment to charity gains wide currency — regularly overlook the exploitation of these little children before their eyes.
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 .The remaining number is provided by America (11 million), Europe and central Asia (6 million) and the Arab states (1 million).
The 2011 census counted 250103 child labourers in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. If the study on the number of orphans here involved in menial jobs is not wrong, then 43% of the child population of 26,53,422 i.e., 11,40,971 children are working in J&K which is far more than the figure of 1,75,630 child laborers of census 2001.
According to a report on child labor in J&K, there are more than one lakh child laborers here, most of who work in the handcraft sector, automobile workshops, brick kilns, in agriculture and as domestic servants in homes.
Arguably, it is extreme poverty which pushes children towards child labor, eating into their health and snatching their right to education. And even if they continue education while working, these children fail to attend schools regularly. For this, parents cite various reasons — from poverty, acquisition of skills, lack of quality education down to the inaccessibility of schools.
While these are valid and sound reasons, it is noteworthy that parents should not scapegoat the education, health and happiness of their child laborers for a few rupees: as parents, it is their obligation and moral responsibility to prevent their children from illiteracy.
Preventing child labor is possible if both the society and state work together. The government can launch child welfare schemes and rehabilitate child laborers; otherwise, the result can prove devastating, considering the fact that the apathy is likely to encourage and explode child labor.
Parents, teachers and preachers can play a key role in combating child labor; they can take care of a child’s health and education. Child labour preys on the education and future of child workers. People accepting exploiting children is immoral — a major cause for the rampant exploitation of children in the name of child labour.
We can fight back child labour when we do not look the other way on noticing this evil practice. It is expected that the law enforcement and other government institutions will catch the culprits even if wealthy and powerful. Interestingly, no political manifesto — in the elections underway— has mentioned the child workers’ plight even in passing. Minus political will, any battle against child abuse shall remain uphill; also a pipe dream.
(Author is RK columnist and teacher by profession. Feedback: [email protected])
