Sadly India is the major hub for child labour. Underdevelopment, Poverty and inadequacy of social security are the main causes behind this. Major segments of population is out of employment and beyond basic needs, this is because of the escalating gap between the wealthy and deprived, privatization of basic services and the neo-liberal economic policies. This badly disturbs the children more than any other group.
The most important concern is that the definite quantity of child labourers goes unnoticed. The entire the laws which are predestined to guard children from dangerous labour are either not implemented appropriately or perhaps unsuccessful.
Children are not only suffering from skin diseases but they also suffer from lung failure. They are exposed to deadly chemicals that harm their lungs which eventually destroy them.
Within these years we observed lots of amendments in The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act 1986 which is maybe the most stormily debated acts in the Indian constitution.
It is the act of the Central Government which amplifies where and how children can work and where they cannot. This act includes-parts and schedules which list down the detailed provisions of the Act and also hold list of occupations and scenarios in which children can or cannot work.
Recent amendment by Rajya Sabha who passed a bill which prohibits employment of children below 14 years in all occupations or processes excluding where the child helps his family, with the provision for imprisonment up to two years for any violation.
‘The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill’ makes employment of children below 14 years as cognizable offence for employers and provides for penalty for parents.
The Bill, which was approximately passed by voice vote, explains children between 14-18 years as adolescents and lays down that they should not be working in any dangerous and risky occupations and processes.
The issue now arising is what anybody be supposed to do to the children who are working with their own interests and desires or the one who has no other options but to earn for him. The one who is orphan and do not have any other options for survival or parents who do not have capacity to let their child study, where are the appropriate laws for them?
A 15 years kid who is a small vendor in Kaushambi, Ghaziabad told pagescoop that he is doing this with his own wish; no one forced him to do so and without any restrains.
He resides in slum in Noida and his parents live in village doing farming and he is selling momos outside the metro station from past 5 years with his elder brother who is selling bhel-puri in another stall. At first he was hiding his age and told us that he was 18 but his hight is shot but after getting comfortable he told his real age.
He is one of examples from thousands of other children who are working in the age of playing and studying. Imagine child without childhood.
Together we can stop child labour and hope these amendments will bring some modifications to the condition of child labourers and their miseries.
