Child Slavery
If we google child labour, one can get a plethora of information which is good enough to
prepare for speech, write essay or poem. We can also get lot of facts and laws to prevent child
labour, but the fact is it still prevails in our society.
Child labour can be defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential,
respect which is harmful to their physical and mental development. A child ends up in labour
at young age not by choice but by shear factors such as poverty, family size, adult
unemployment, illiteracy, human trafficking. Child labour could be of following types such
as bonded labour, illegal activities and sexual exploitation. We often come across the violence
against children by the so called industrialist and anti social elements in society, and we as a
parent or individual feel bad or have sympathy towards those children. Whenever we think
about child labour, the first thoughts to cross our minds are those sweatshops and industries
where these children toil to survive, but what we fail to see or rather ignore is the presence of
this underprivileged children in our neighborhoods. As per the recent survey there has been a
paradigm in more children working in cities than in villages. The reasons for these change is
due to rapid development, disposable income, industrial boom. Being a mother of a seven
year old child, it pains to see children below the age of 14 doing odd jobs at our
neighborhood. We see children cleaning vehicles, working as domestic helps, picks thrash,
supplies daily essentials at doorstep and very common phrase “ aa chotu ek chai la” and yet
we claim that we live in a civilized and educated society. We are blind to such evil crimes
because we have lost our humanity. We have been accustomed to see this children work in
our neighborhood and one can justify these children don't go thru the hardship of industries
and that they do it for living by doing odd jobs in our civilized societies.
We think it is government and NGO's duty to ensure children should be protected from child
labour and laws should be put to practice to punish the culprits, but what we fail to think is
what as an individual i can do to stop the child labour. What we can give the child best is
there right to Education. Education is the only way we can empower the child, it can not only
make them educated but also develop their ability to think, mould their skills and make their
career in different streams and make them independent. We should move a step further from
"Beti bachao beti padhao" to "Mazdoor bachcho ko bachao, bachcho ko padhao". Let us take
a small step further in our capacity to sponsor a child for his/her education and moreover
stand up for this young ones and for their rights. If a change can happen then this is through
us the educated class who should come forward to stop this inhumanity. We mothers can lead
the path by taking initiative in our society or getting associated with NGO's to provide
education to this rescued children with our resources. Think about the change we can bring
and the lost humanity back. I would like to conclude by quoting the late father of the nation.
"Be the change that you wish to see in the world" - Mahatma Gandhi
May God, Allah, Ishwar give us the right attitude & ability to fight for these under privileged
children for their rights !!
Share On
