CHILD LABOUR - Radhika Nair

The fall of rupee,the economic crisis, increase in prices  has affected all strata of society. The rich are becoming richer and the poor poorer. The desperate conditions affecting the rural as well as the urban poor in India are forcing growing number of children into sub-human conditions. They are deprived of their most basic rights as children, including education and a happy carefree childhood. Many have never been to schools or have dropped out at a very young age.
          Official estimates show that 15 million children aged between 5-14 work as child laborers in India. But other estimates put the figures far higher. A non-governmental organization projected the figures as alarming as 100 million which is nearly half of the child population in India.
           So India has the largest number of child workers in the world. And they work in many different sectors. Some work in garment industry, brick kiln, hotels, textile shops. Many work in hazardous industries like stone quarries, beedi rolling, gem polishing, coal mining, glass blowing, lead mining, match making etc.
             Working in these industries  cause a lot of health problems like asthma, wheezing, skin and stomach problems, stunted growth as well as menstrual dysfunction among adolescent girls. Accidents are also common leading to fractures and other major injuries. On the long run, exposure to harmful chemicals, dust etc can lead to cancerous diseases. The life expectancy of these children are very short. On an average they live only up to 35-40years.
           Then there are situations where children are abducted and taken of to far off lands and made to work. A few days back I read an article about a girl named Laxmi (12) abducted from her family home in the north east. Taken to Delhi and made to work looking after children , doing house hold work etc. she was found recently after nearly  4 years as a child laborer. So there are also situations like these where children are not forced in to labour by their conditions or by family members. But these are exceptions and poor family status and constant struggle to make ends  meet remains   the  major reason for child labour today.
            Indian laws, such as child labour act 1986, does not prohibit child labour but only bans it in certain sections such as hazardous industries. If tougher laws are introduced they might reduce child labour. But let us think a little further. Why is there child labour? The root cause is extreme poverty. So efforts should be put towards providing better jobs and better wages to parents. Improving their living conditions followed by educating and empowering these people of the evils of child labor which a lot of these people know of but are left with no options. For them it's either dying from diseases caused by harmful chemicals or dying of hunger. And you can't blame them for attending to their more immediate needs. Hence a comprehensive and integrated plan should be followed in ensuring that every child that is unfairly dragged into this system of abuse should be given an opportunity to reclaim their childhood and also prevent anymore children from losing it.