Child
labour continues to be a significant phenomenon in India. According to the NSS
(National Sample Survey) 66th round (2009-10), there are 49.84 lakh child
labourers across the country, and 23.3 per cent of 15 to 18-year-olds are
engaged in some income-earning activity. Uttar Pradesh tops the list as the
state with highest number of child labour cases in the age group of 10-14 years
and third in terms of worst record between 10-18 years. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/UP-has-highest-number-of-child-labour-cases-NSS/articleshow/20557864.cms. Child labour is a concrete manifestation of
violations of a range of rights of children and is recognized as a serious and
enormously complex social problem in India. Working children are denied their
right to survival and development, education, leisure and play, and adequate
standard of living, opportunity for developing personality, talents, mental and
physical abilities, and protection from abuse and neglect.
To curb the child
labour Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi was the founding member of Bachpan Bachao Andolan
(BBA) and rescued thousands of child labour from Carpet, domestic child labour, sports, sarees,
leathers, brick kiln, agriculture, glass industry and trafficking. During the
rescue Dr. Lenin realized for that due to the pathetic economic condition again
the children sent for it. So, to prevent child labour Dr. Lenin founded PVCHR
and created Indrawar as child labour free village on 1st May, 1996
in presence of pharis Harvey of ILRF, USA & Ms. Abigail Abris of RFK
memorial centre for Human Rights through four prolong interventions.
In 2001 with the support from CRY the organization initiated for
child rights centric village and focussed on the child protection issues in Harhuwa
and Badagaon of Varanasi districts with the most marginalized communities as
during rescue all labour belongs to Dalits, OBCs and minorities. Most of the target communities were working
in brick kiln because it was income generating to them. The Children spent 9
months along with their parents in the brick kiln industry. Children
in and around the brick kiln areas are drawn into labour as they tend to help
their parents by arranging the bricks for drying and collecting the broken and
improperly moulded bricks. Due to the tenancy system the
women and children are not counted as worker. It is trend by the employers to
show men as employees and it provides opportunity to escape from ensuring the
service to women and children. Once
they get older, they are drawn into the trade, having being trained at a young
age. This age group is the most vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. The
National Policy of Children 2013 declares that all children from 0 to 18 years
need to be protected and provided with all the facilities of health, education,
nutrition and protection.
In the finding organization
found many female children are subjected to physical and sexual abused. Radha (name changed) 15 years was sold to
the brick kiln owner by her
relative in Jaunpur for two months she
was sexually abused by the brick kiln owner Mr. Baiju Yadav. Son of Palo Devi
who was also helping his parent was shot by brick kiln owner as he saw him in
unavoidable condition with different female worker.
In last two and half year (July
2010 – 2012) the organization rescued and released 243 bonded labour from
eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. But in this process we experience the apathy of
the administration for not registering case under Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 and providing rehabilitation package of 20,000
Rupees and not benefiting children with any social service scheme. After rescue and identification child are not
handed over to parents but were sent to Child Welfare Committee. The influence and muscle power
of owner are main reason hurdle for identification, rescue and rehabilitation,
which is coming due to caste system of India.
In last 13 years slowly and gradually PVCHR expanded it working areas
such as seven districts of Uttar Pradesh with intensive engagement in 200
villages with focus on child rights centric village and torture free model
villages. After intensive engagement and awareness building now the parents
working in the brick kiln are sending their children to school. In Sakara village many girls enrolled in residential
school and providing tuition to the weak children to maintain retention in the
school.
PVCHR brought the issues of Bonded Labour Mushar to the National Human
Rights Commission in open hearing on
atrocities against schedule caste (SC)
in Varanasi on 25 – 26 November, 2013 for providing them with social service scheme. In
the hearing NHRC ordered for especially providing work to the mushars during
rainy season under MNREGA to prevent malnutrition, hunger death and bonded
labour. During the visit of Mr. Anil Parashar to Varanasi and Chunar he issued
notice to District Magistrate Varanasi and Mirzapur to provide all detailed
information related to brick kiln including the total number of labourers male, female and
children with their residential addresses and age. http://www.pvchr.net/2014/04/thanks-to-shri-anil-parashar-and-nhrc.html
In 2013 organization
organized public hearing on bonded labour and child labour including the three
commissions National Human Rights Commission, National Women Commission and
National Commission for Protection Child Rights and Ex- Director General of
Police, Uttara Khand. In the hearing the cases of child labour from western
part of Uttar Pradesh were presented that children are involved in hazardous
industry such as in lock industry, meat industry, Agriculture and recycling of
the old mobile.
To eliminate child labour PVCHR provided Psycho-social and legal support
to survivors, Meta Legal Intervention, Legal intervention, Medical support,
Protection & solidarity, Rehabilitation of community, Peoples’ Advocacy,
Public hearing, Awareness and child participation so, they are healed and transformed as human rights
defenders; they are fearless and now ready to face and confront their
perpetrators; they are now in a better position to reclaim and attain their
rights. IT was specifically used
for the comprehensive advocacy as on the whole as a very non – expensive
approach. The cases of bonded labour across India were monitored in daily
newspapers and immediately complaint was sent through email to the various
concerned authorities.
The musahar ghetto of Sarai
village is bonded labour free village. This was possible with the tireless
process and community aspiration for change the community people decided not
work as bonded labour in any establishment and now working under MNREGA Scheme.
They understood the importance of education and now they enrolled their
children in near Government Primary School. http://www.testimonialtherapy.org/2014/02/change-is-possible-we-can.html
Child labour is a complex
issue linked with Socio- Economic & political situation in anthropological
development of specific marginalized communities. Elimination of child labour
means breaking the silence of community through accessibility at common resources
in Government scheme of children and their parents in context of child rights
approach.
Shruti Nagvanshi,
Managing Trustee & Shirin Shabana Khan, Program Director at management committee and Program
Manager of PVCHR – Dignity initiative “Healing and Empowering marginalized
Committee in India
