Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'India comes closer to eliminating Child Labour' that was published in Newsband

India comes closer to eliminating Child Labour

India has ratified two key global conventions meant to keep children away from work, decades since they were originally adopted by the International Labour Organisation. The ILO treaties are about the minimum age at which a person may begin work and the hazardous industries where she may not.

The 2016 Act contains the controversial provision that condones the employment of children below 14 years under the rubric of family enterprises and the declassification of several industries as hazardous occupations. According to the 2016 amendment, children may work in domestic enterprises only for three hours after school, and not between 7 pm and 8 am. These restrictions are intended to ensure attendance at school.

The 2016 child labour law amendment is in no way a dilution of 1986 law. The earlier law simply provided a list of occupations, where child labour was banned, but the current law prohibits child labour in all activities with few exceptions. Simply, it's like moving from 70% to 80%, while still short of 100%, and not the other way round.

Child labour is the biggest evil of our society. Our government make many promises in direction of eliminating child labour. But, they fail to follow it. Because it is not so easy task. We all have to cooperate with the government to achieve this goal. Child labour prevention on a bigger scale is still a dream in India and will remain like this unless the judiciary acts in a strict manner against those promoting it.

Rajya Sabha in July 2016 had passed a bill which prohibits employment of children below 14 years in all occupations or processes except where the child helps his  family, with the provision for imprisonment up to two years for any violation. 'The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill' makes employment of children below 14 years as cognizable offence for employers and provides for penalty for parents. The Bill defines children between 14-18 years as adolescents and lays down that they should not be employed in any hazardous occupations and processes.

Three ministries - Human Resources Development, Women and Child Development and Labour should come out with composite schemes for welfare of child labour and trade unions should be consulted while formulating these.

India has become an organised system for exploitation of children" and "it is a matter of shame" that government is working in piecemeal. There is a need for monitoring of child labour at district level and it may be done through the respective members of Parliament.

Also provide education to children so that they can earn money and support family, and do not get engaged anti-social activities. 40 per cent families fall in the BPL category and they find it difficult to send their children for studies. Such families should be given some stipend to support study of their children.

Child labour is an "oxymoron" as associating child with labour is in itself destroying childhood. We need to address child labour in relation of all other sectors of development and progress. Poverty is a big element and it plays a major role in child labour. There should be guidelines for child actors who work in mega serials that run for long periods of time. Inter-ministerial coordination is crucial for effective implementation of rehabilitation of children.