Child Labour in India
“Out of school children comprise the
workers and non workers. In our view they together signify a measure of
deprivation among children and can be considered as a potential labour pool
always being at the risk of entering the labour force" - NCEUS, 2007.
India is sadly the home to the
largest number of child labourers in the world. The census found an increase in
the number of child labourers from 11.28 million in 1991 to 12.59 million in
2001. M.V. Foundation in Andhra Pradesh found nearly 400,000 children, mostly
girls between seven and 14 years of age, toiling for 14-16 hours a day in
cottonseed production across the country of which 90% are employed in Andhra
Pradesh. 40% of the labour in a precious stone cutting sector is children. NGOs
have discovered the use of child labourers in mining industry in Bellary
District in Karnataka in spite of a harsh ban on the same. In urban areas there
is a high employment of children in the zari and embroidery industry.
Poverty and lack of social security
are the main causes of child labour. The increasing gap between the rich and
the poor, privatization of basic services and the neo-liberal economic policies
are causes major sections of the population out of employment and without basic
needs. This adversely affects children more than any other group. Entry of
multi-national corporations into industry without proper mechanisms to hold
them accountable has lead to the use of child labour. Lack of quality universal
education has also contributed to children dropping out of school and entering
the labour force. A major concern is that the actual number of child labourers
goes un-detected. Laws that are meant to protect children from hazardous labour
are ineffective and not implemented correctly.
A growing phenomenon is using
children as domestic workers in urban areas. The conditions in which children
work is completely unregulated and they are often made to work without food,
and very low wages, resembling situations of slavery. There are cases of physical,
sexual and emotional abuse of child domestic workers. The argument for domestic
work is often that families have placed their children in these homes for care
and employment. There has been a recent notification by the Ministry of Labour making
child domestic work as well as employment of children in dhabas, tea stalls and
restaurants "hazardous" occupations.
According to HAQ: Centre for
child rights, child labour is highest among schedules tribes, Muslims,
schedule castes and OBC children. The persistence of child labour is due to the
inefficiency of the law, administrative system and because it benefits
employers who can reduce general wage levels. HAQ argues that distinguishing
between hazardous and non hazardous employment is counter-productive to the
elimination of child labour. Various growing concerns have pushed children out
of school and into employment such as forced displacement due to development
projects, Special Economic Zones; loss of jobs of parents in a slowdown,
farmers' suicide; armed conflict and high costs of health care. Girl children
are often used in domestic labour within their own homes. There is a lack of
political will to actually see to the complete ban of child labour.
Bonded child labour is a hidden
phenomenon as a majority of them are found in the informal sector. Bonded
labour means the employment of a person against a loan or debt or social
obligation by the family of the child or the family as a whole. It is a form of
slavery. Children who are bonded with their family or inherit a debt from their
parents are often found in agricultural sector or assisting their families in
brick kilns, and stone quarries. Individual pledging of children is a growing
occurrence that usually leads to trafficking of children to urban areas for
employment and have children working in small production houses versus
factories. Bonded labourers in India are mostly migrant workers, which opens
them up to more exploitation. Also they mostly come from low caste groups such
as dalits or marginalised tribal groups. Bonded child labourers are at very
high risk for physical and sexual abuse and neglect sometimes leading to death.
They often are psychologically and mentally disturbed and have not learnt many
social skills or survival skills.
