Fading Childhoods

Poverty breeds poverty. This is indeed a fact rightly said for the vicious circle of poverty. In India, it is no mere exaggeration to state that more than half of the country's population stay below the poverty line. This phenomenon is not an end in itself. It has given a lead way to other problems like that of malnourishment, socio-economic inequality, chronic diseases, social unrest, child labor etc.

India is said to employ the largest number of child laborers in the world. Children between the age of 5-14 constitute 42 percent of India’s population out of which 29 percent are child laborers. Be it the household of an urban sophisticate or an utter illiterate, or liquor outlets or agricultural farms, or a shoddy garage or the popular Tea Stall situated in the campus of my university, child labor is still a common sight in these kinds of places in India. Child labor is not only a threat to the educational aspect of a child but also a hazard to the mental, physical, social, emotional and spiritual development of any child. Have we ever thought what would happen to the life of a child who is being employed in our nearby tea stall or even at our homes? Does he/she aspire or weave dreams like the way we do? How do these children feel when they come across their counterparts whose whims and fancies are quickly fulfilled by their filthy rich parents?

 

When a child sacrifices education for employment, it has a sustaining impact not only the future of the person in question but also on his future generations as well. Take this case for an example. Today a child abandons his formal education and goes for employment in a factory or a restaurant. He grows up being skilled in that particular vocation but lacks the general awareness which only formal education could provide him. When it is time to guide his next generation, he may not be adequately knowledgeable. Thus, the subsequent generation also treads more or less the similar path he has left behind. Instead in the first stage if the child is given exposure to formal education, a far better mode of living could be envisioned for himself and his generations ahead. As an extension of this assumption, a better family, a better society and a better nation altogether could be created in the future.

Some people who employ children justify it on the grounds that they become a source of income for the bed-ridden parents. If we think from the family's point of view, it may not be wrong. However, should the child be punished in this way for being born in that family? Should his childhood be taken away from him/her because of the family circumstances? These are some of the questions, which can be answered only through the concerted efforts of the State and the Civil Society. However, the response of the State towards this issue has been mediocre over these years.  On an average, between 2005 and 2010, of every hundred rupees spent by the Government, less than  three paise was spent on child labour alleviation programmes. In fact, India fares poorly in allocation of resources for protection, health, development and education of children. As a proportion of GDP, these investments are terribly low and the increases over the years are not commensurate with the overall increase in productivity and income. 

Recently, the Ministry of Labour has come up with a Project Based Plan of Action. The Scheme envisages running of special schools for child labor withdrawn from work. In the special schools, these children are provided formal/non-formal education along with vocational training, a stipend of Rs.100 per month, supplementary nutrition and regular health check ups so as to prepare them to join regular mainstream schools. If appropriate awareness is created and sincere implementation is adopted, this can work out in great deal to solve the problem of child labor.

From the industry side, every organization has a responsibility towards the society known as corporate social responsibility. While incorporating it into the functions of the organization, it is vital to check the growth of child labor as many fashion houses and carpet weaving industries are infamous for availing the low-cost child labor. India's action initiated towards this major issue dates back to the Enactment of Children (Pledging of Labor) Act, 1933 which was followed by the Employment of Children Act, in 1938. Since then, many acts have come into the spectrum to tackle this issue. Recently, the Ministry of Labor issued a notification banning child labor and imprisoning people who employ child labor. Nevertheless, there has not been any worthy improvement in this scenario as it is evident on the streets where we see child vendors, child waiters, child assistant mechanics, child rickshaw pullers, child domestic helps etc. In order to bring forth a better future of India, the said laws need to be effectively implemented and not stated alone.

A Pipedream at the University

Sometimes, while sitting under the tree near the popular Tea stall and watching the child cleverly get the orders and wash the used glasses, I pity the child's fate, the society's bereavement, my impuissance and the plight of the so-called shinning India. In my pipedream, I saw the luck (or the law presumably) favoring him. He abandons his employment for education and after a few years, he is back. But this time, he goes to the tea stall during the tea break after a tedious two hour lecture in the near by Department…:)