June 12th - World Day Against Child Labour

Finest Blog of June 2009 - Winner!

I have been wanting to make a post on this subject and today I think the time has come to let every one know about my thoughts on this topic which will make you also, sit back and think about this social issue, crime against the innocents.

Every year when we celebrate a specific day there would be so much activity every where. The electronic media and print media will be agog with reports on this issue, many meetings and seminars would be held and various schemes would be announced and at the end of the day it will be curtains till next year. It would be more useful if various schemes that are announced are undertaken and implemented to ensure it reaches the right beneficiaries.

A report released by International Labor office, mentions the global melt down may push more children into child labor (The Hindu DT June 11th), especially girls. It is estimated that more than 100 million girl children are already slogging out there in worst circumstances.

Many organizations taking decisions not to employ children, is a baby’s step in the right direction. It will help to tackle this problem to a certain extent as we see young children working in small hotels, petrol bunks and various institutions. You might have come across many places exhibiting placards “We don’t have child labourers” and right under the board you would see 2-3 children working with tired, cheer less faces.

Many a time I have come across these children working but never had the guts to speak against, lest I would invite something unpleasant. This is our problem. We are afraid to raise our voices (there may be somebody who does it. I salute them but I know the percentage would be minuscule). There is a penalty for employing little kids which is so small that when the employer takes a decision to engage these children he already makes a provision for paying this penalty, because the returns are pretty attractive.

When abject poverty forces these children to work, it is brisk business for child traffickers. They make things worse for the kids and their families, making these children work in difficult inhuman conditions .The children are abused physically and mentally and some times they go with out food, which loots the beautiful phase of child hood from them.

Once when I spoke to a child of 10 as to why he is working when he should be studying; he bowled me with a googly, something which I could not find an answer till now. It went like this. “Amma if I work I can fill my stomach thrice a day. I am happy with the little money I get and can send that to my parents also”. I had met him in an institution. He is intelligent enough to know that he will die of hunger if stays at home. I only hope that if at all while employing these children, they will take it upon them to educate these kids at least in the evenings, so that, they may get a chance to get out of this and lead better lives in future. Sometimes I feel, he is safe there than falling into the hands of negative forces.

I know of a Principal of an engineering college who helped his office boy, son of a street vendor to complete his engineering. The boy used the opportunity well and today he is a soft ware engineer in a reputed company. Like this many are doing good service.

The recent announcement by our cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar that he was going to sponsor the education of 200 students is indeed laudable. I hope more people like him would come forward to help in whatever way they can to help these under privileged children.

The government launches so many amnesty schemes time and again to convert unaccounted wealth into accounted and uses a percentage of such revenue collection for a social cause prevailing at that time. We have been hearing in the media about tons of money being stashed in Swiss and other foreign banks belonging to Indian origin. May be some Finance Minister will bring out one such scheme to ensure that in future that all children of India will have an opportunity for getting good health, clean water, education, shelter and adequate food so that they will take India to the pinnacles of glory and peace across the whole world.

On the eve of this World Day against Child Labor I dedicate this post to all those poor, innocent little children who are robbed of their childhood.

Manchitra

 

thanks for the comment Ashwini.
For poor families more children means more hands to work & more income; so like you said they are also responsible to a great extent in bringing their own children to a sorry state of affairs.

 

I have no words to express my happiness.Thanks a ton for nominating me.
I was really worried as the response to post relating to social issues are very low but see I was wrong. Thanks once again.:cheers

 

Definitely i agree with you. It all depends on what they really want. See Ashwini's comment above. It is very difficult to convince some.But those who are interested, it would really bring about a change in their life. Thanks and congrats Viji ,that is how i would love to call you.

 

Dear manjula and shanvy
thank you both for visitng and leaving your valuable comments.
I want to remind you of saying when the going gets tough the tough gets going.Change is always difficult and one should continue to do every little bit against htis malady and I am confident the awareness we create one day will have its desired effectand who knows,the day could be very near!!!