Child labor more or less is said to manifest and multiply itself in all geographical territories of the world. Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is a territory as well. Notwithstanding the formal prohibition,  the demography of child workers in various sectors refuses to lose ground across the Union Territory/UT. Granted that child labor amounts to a crime of heinous nature, the ostensibly wide social sanction to it -- in purportedly brazen breach of the codal norms --is food for thought. Both society and state in unison can tide over the issue. Legion are minor children , they claim, seen carrying out manual labor in Dhabas, restaurants and 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 birthed 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. If official figures are to be believed ,  it is understood 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. Why do those children work as laborors unlawfully? Arguably, it is the struggling economic scenario , of low-income families in the majority of cases, which plunges children into the mire of child labor. This tells upon their health and robs them of the right to education. A casual approach-- one which bypasses the disciplinary mechanism in place -- to studies exacerbates the situation related to their academics. However, the safest route to the shores of salvation from an unwelcome socio-economic situation goes through the sea of education. And less favourable economic circumstances are an opportunity to turn the tables. Notably aside from the requirements of good income, parents ascribe the acquisition of skills, uncertainty as to employment avenues down to the need of facilities for better life as to their preference to working by children over education. A moment of concern it should be for those whose say matters. Educating children must come first. Overlooking the education, health and happiness of children for a few rupees does not bode well for any household and society . It is  a moral imperative for every  parent to look after their children well and protect them from the jaws of illiteracy  and ignorance . Children can undertake safer activities but forcing or misleading them to shoulder hazardous tasks at the cost of their physical, mental and moral health,  is pointless. It forebodes  gloom and doom down the road.  Many child laborers have suffered serious injuries: not long ago, 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 and not yet fully grown educational awareness of an area which have pushed children towards labor. Moreover, the hot and cold nature of the political situation  has added to the number of child laborers: thousands of children had lost their parents and guardians over the course of the turmoil and without a breadwinner, these children get trapped in the smithy of child labor aimed at supporting their families. Child labor has supposedly deepened its roots in J&K  and scores of children are seen working at homes as domestic servants , as carpet weavers, etc. and outside home in various other sectors, the onus is on their parents and the wider society to discourage and combat it in cooperation with the  institutions authorised to take care of the disturbing trend. Stopping minor children from any hazardous work is possible if both the society and state work together. But if they address it separately , we might end up in chaos. The authorities concerned can launch child welfare schemes and rehabilitate child laborers; otherwise, the result can prove devastating. Children at school is a healthy sign; child work  an ugly sight. Parents, teachers and preachers can play a key role in stopping child labor and  put children on road to gain sound health and education. Turning a blind eye to child labor is an open invitation to bleak future. That we can ill afford.   (Author is a teacher by profession and RK columnist. Feedback: sheikhshabir518@gmail.com)