Child Labor

Child labor – “a diabolic evil in the society”

India is stepping towards achieving superpowerdom of 2010 Common Wealth project but its children are still far behind in terms of healthcare, education and other facilities. Poor are still slaves of poverty and lack the education. Right to Education is a fundamental right imparted to all without any discrimination. Children especially girls are faced with lack of educational opportunities, malnourished, infant mortality and early marriages.

child labour HNAnj 31465

child labour BihRS 31465

William Wordsworth said, “Child is the father of man”, are true. The health of a nation is dependent on the children of the nation.

There is always one moment in childhood where the door opens and lets the future in”, said by Graham Greene. This is true in the sense that childhood is special for everyone. What we are today is a reflection of what we learnt in our childhood. What we get in our childhood is what we spend today.

Child labor is considered inhuman and exploitative. This is a human rights issue for the whole world. It is a big developmental issue for a country

POVERTY is one main reason that forces parents to send their children to work. In poor families, children act as earning hands to their parents. When there are more mouths to feed and there are no other means of survival, the parents force their children to work at cheap rates. Thus, we can state over population in a family is also a reason behind child labor.

Other causes that are involved are lack of education, social indifference and parental illiteracy.

The Indian constitution also provides for special rights and protection for children under Articles 21A, 24, 39. The constitution ensures right to free and compulsory education up to the age of 14, and directs the State to look at the fact that children of a tender age are not forced to work due to economic necessity.

Some legal provisions such as the Child Labor (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986, have been enacted by the Government to alleviate this problem. In 1987, the Government of India adopted a National Policy on Child Labor.

Child labor is an issue which has always been seen as a diabolic evil in the society. It is a vexed issue, since it is seen to destroy the childhood of many innocent souls. A childhood which is meant to play, to study and enjoy the little joys of life is wrecked by the evil of child labor.

Children are one of the most vulnerable sections of the Indian society. They are the building blocks of the nation and are still exploited to extremes. How can a country advance if its base itself is so weak? Due to the high population rate, majority of our population is still young.

Children are innocent, tender, shy, and these characteristics often lead to their exploitation. They are not only subjugated outside but also within families. One would find young children begging at almost every traffic light. They are seen as additional hands to earn in most of the households. Has anyone ever wondered what they feel and want? At the age when they should be studying, they do everything to make ends meet on a daily basis. What is literacy to them when even they need to struggle for basic survival? Many of them are sold off to brothels or are sold off as servants. Sadly, many of them are used to fulfill perverted sexual desires; this happens even within families. A father using his own daughters to satisfy himself is something which can only be called gross. Bitter as it is, this is the truth. A lot of our below twelve population is also engaged in domestic households as servants. Our law says encouraging child labor is an offence. But who cares? This is the attitude of most of us. Many families keep young boys and girls as servants even though they are educated enough to know that child labor is a punishable offence. Furthermore, these children are treated extremely cruelly. They are not given enough food and are made to do hard demanding work. In return, they get little pay and a lot beating.

It is high time every person in the society understood the gravity of the situation. Children should be given a proper platform to fight against their exploitation. The laws should be made more stringent and it should be ensured that their implementation is not just on paper! Parents should feel responsible. Our efforts should be directed towards the education of the youth and a person can learn only when his mental state is in a balance. To help the country advance, we need to strengthen its base. Let us march forward to save the bright stars of our nation.