On World Day Against Child Labour, DNA visits the lives of children who have been the victims as well as of some who were brought out of the dark alleys by some vigilante groups.
Despite many efforts by non-governmental organisations, little has been done by the government to contain the growing menace of child labour in the National Capital Region (NCR). The number of children being trafficked or forced into labour has only increased over the years, particularly in urban areas. On World Day Against Child Labour, DNA visits the lives of children who have been the victims as well as of some who were brought out of the dark alleys by some vigilante groups.
CASE STUDY 1 (NEGATIVE)
At 8 am, when students prepare to leave for school, Deepak occupies himself with the preparations to get meals ready. The 12-year-old boy works with his father, who sells 'Chole Puri' at Indira Market in Noida.
Deepak never went to school but every time he sees children going to school, he feels unfortunate and wishes to join these children. This little boy who hails from Khagaria in Bihar has been working for three years now and wishes to send his three younger siblings to school to fulfil his dreams and wants to see them soar high in life. "If someone offers me to send to school, I would definitely go but my father never let me go because of the financial constraints", said Deepak.
While every child deserves to learn, grow and enjoy the golden period of childhood and not be trapped in the circle of earning livelihood, Deepak's work deprives him of growth and education preventing him from developing his full potential.
He is not the only deprived child of this country. According to the 2016 analysis of NGO Children Rights and You (CRY), child labour has increased by more than 50 per cent in urban areas.
Article 21-A, Right to Education, fundamental right promises to provide free and compulsory education to all children between the ages of 6 and 14 but these statistics of child labour portray the failing picture of the Act.
CASE STUDY 2 (POSITIVE)
Living happily with his parents and a younger sister, Sunil (23), was abducted by the money lender from whom his parents had borrowed money from. In the year 2000, Sunil was abducted and put to work in a brick factory.
Recalling his nightmarish experience Sunil said, “I was abducted from my home and later forced to work in a brick factory, however, it was an NGO that had rescued me and showed me the path to education that my life changed.”
Sunil was rescued by ‘Bachpan Bachao Andolan’ and then given access to basic and higher education. Sunil later went on to become an engineer from the electronic branch and is a well-settled man today.
Having experienced the trauma and hardship of child labour, Sunil participated in Bharat Yatra which was commenced from Kanyakumari and ended in Delhi in 2017 led by Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi to spread awareness about child trafficking and sexual abuse. During the march, he enacted strongly by speaking for the victim of trafficking and child sexual abuse.
CASE STUDY 3 (NEGATIVE)
Calling on the busy streets of Noida Sector 18's Atta Market stands Kamlesh, a 13-year-old boy who had recently moved to Delhi just to help his father vend socks in the marketplace.
Kamlesh was a student of seventh grade in a government school in Bihar when his father summoned him to contribute in the family earning and thus the boy had to leave for Delhi, leaving behind his two younger brothers and mother.
However, the young boy deprived of education is now left with no aim but just a motive to get his family regular meals. On being asked, if he intends to join school again, the boy said, "Obviously yes, but seeing my family starve will not be bearable, so I would prefer working in the market rather than schooling."
According to an analysis of the census data taken out by CRY on child labour in India in 2016, Uttar Pradesh has 41.18 per cent of children employed which is the highest number in the country.
Roaming around any streets in Noida one can find many children who are either pushing thelas (push carts) or whiling away their time becoming menace to the society. The lack of awareness regarding education is the cause of the vicious cycle that child labour creates.
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