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11 June 2008, New Delhi: 12 June is commemorated as World Day Against Child labour every year. Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) along with the Government of Delhi launched a raid in Ghonda Chowk area and rescued 62 children from zari units. Most of the children were from Motihari and Sitamarhi districts of Bihar.
The narrow lanes, filth ridden atmosphere, the stench in the air greeted the team of Sub-Divisional Magistrate, labour officials, police and BBA activists as they wound their way into the interior by-lanes of Ghonda Chowk It is difficult to imagine that children work in such unhygienic areas. But what was to encounter the team was gorier than this - children in the barest of clothes, in rooms that are not fit to live in, but where they both work and live. Whether it is scorching heat or biting cold, the children toil with their tiny hands on the fixed zari frames for 16-18 hours, with no pay. If they are paid at all, it is a ‘weekly stipend’ of Rs. 30-50. Ask them why they are here and they have a dazed look of exhaustion.
The physical rescue of these children is just one task. The whole world of legalities starts soon after. To get the custody of the children which would mean whether they would go to the shelter home of BBA or produced in front of the CWC who may send the children to BBA’s rehabilitation centre, Mukti Ashram or to a Government shelter home.
Nazir, 7 years old hails from Araria district. A typical case of trafficking for forced labour, he was brought to Delhi by an ‘uncle’ who promised him and his parents that he would come to Delhi to study and to earn some money by working for a few hours everyday. The reality was 16 hour workdays, no breaks at work, physical abuse from the master at the slightest mistake or complaint of tiredness. My knees hurt so much that I can’t stand, due to the continuous sitting posture to do the embroidery work. I wanted a way out of this hell. I am happy now and want to go home and study in a school” says Nazir.
Since Jan 2008, BBA has rescued over 800 child bonded labourers from 7 different states from zari embroidery units, hotels/dhabas, shellac handicrafts industries to mention a few. All these children have received statutory economic rehabilitation of a minimum of Rs. 20,000 each under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976. The total amounts to INR 16,000,000 (INR 16 million). In addition, a fine of Rs 20,000 was collected from the employers for each rescued child.
It is for the very first time that a rescue operation has been conducted on the world day against child labour. The Sub Divisional Magistrate, Seelampur A.K.Sharma said “Upon speaking to the children, we realised that they worked from 8 AM-10 PM in the night and never received any wages for their work. This clearly means that they were bonded labours. Hence, they would be given release certificates under the Bonded Labour Act. This release certificate entitles them to their rehabilitation package of Rs. 20,000, the availing of government schemes like Indira Awas Yojana, housing schemes etc on a priority basis. Most importantly, the children would be enrolled in NCLP schools.
Kailash Satyarthi, the founder of BBA said “The main reason for having conducted the raid on the eve of the World Day Against Child Labour is to show that action is needed to end child labour. Conducting seminars and programmes on this day will not end the problem. It has to be followed up with action. If the police officials, labour officials, the administration and civil society work together and proactively release children from exploitative situations, complete elimination of child labour is not only possible, but also attainable in the near future.” Rakesh Senger, the National Secretary of BBA led the raid.
World Day Against Child Labour is commemorated on 12 June every year to remind humanity of the pledge to abolish child slavery, child trafficking, prostitution of children, and forced and hazardous child labour. This came through the unanimous adoption of an international legislation, the Convention on combating Worst Form of Child Labour under the International Labour Organisation. This Convention in turn came into being due to the global demand for such a process by the Global March Against Child Labour, a physical global march across 103 countries in 1998. Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of World Day Against Child Labour. |
