Child Labour

Despite the lawful provisions against child labour, a large number of children continue to be exploited in risky working conditions. Badly paid for long hours of work, they must leave school to keep their family at an age where they should just play and have fun. They are made to give up all the joys of childhood for a cruel and brutal world.

Generalized occurrence of child labour: rural areas employ the greatest amount of child labour. In urban areas they work in dhabas, tea stalls, restaurants and houses. They are obviously exploited in the unorganized sector as domestic employees, street vendors, scrap collectors, paper sellers, agricultural workers and as workers in industrial companies.

Some of the industries that employ children as workers include the game industry in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu; glass industry in Firozabad, the brass industry in Moradabad and the handmade carpet industry in Mirzapur-Bhadoi, an industry of precious stone polishing in Jaipur, Rajasthan; blocks manufacturing industry in Aligarh; slate industry in Markapur, Andhra Pradesh and slate industry in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh.

Child labour in slavery: sometimes children are hired against a loan, a debt or a social responsibility of the child's family. In general, they are forced to work to help their families in the agricultural sector, brick ovens and stone mines. In urban areas, the children of migrant workers who mainly belong to low caste groups, such as the Dalits or marginalized tribes, are committed to working in small factories and production houses. Children who work in servitude are particularly prone to mental, physical and sexual abuse, which sometimes even leads to death. In Orissa, people sell daughters, ages 8 to 10, as servants of the creditor to repay their debt.

Causes of child labour: child labour is unavoidable in a country like India, where over 40% of the population lives in conditions of extreme poverty. Children need to supplement their parents' income or, in some cases, they are the only family salaries.

Another reason is that vested interests purposely create child labour to get cheap labour like factory work, domestic work, or a job.

The state of working children: children often work in dangerously contaminated factories. They work from 9 to 10 hours straight, including night shifts. Not surprisingly, a large number of working children have sunken thoraxes and thin bone structures that give them a fragile appearance. They are made to work in small rooms in inhuman conditions that include unhygienic environments. Most of these children come from extremely poor families. Either they leave school or have not seen any school.

Working children are at risk of various diseases. They are vulnerable to everyone's exploitation. There is no strict execution of laws against child labour, so employers continue to avoid the provisions of the law with the full knowledge that child workers will not dare to expose them.

The authorities should incorporate a provision for surprise checks and establish a separate surveillance cell. Employers must take mandatory measures for intellectual, professional and educational well-being and for the growth of a working child.

We need policies that seek to alleviate poverty and inequality, as they can have a significant and decisive impact on the economic conditions and social structures that influence child labour. These initiatives can integrate land reforms, job creation programs, use of improved technologies among the poor, promotion of the informal sector and creation of cooperatives and social security plans. An effective enforcement mechanism is also required to punish offenders. Work inspection and related services should be strengthened.