Loss of a childhood in pursuing a livelihood

Another Children’s Day will be celebrated in India on November 14, 2020. It is heartbreaking that so many children in India, and across the world, do not go to school and are engaged in work to support their poverty-stricken families.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), around 168 million children in the age group 5 to 17 years work to earn a living. In India, as per the 2011 census, 10.1 million children are engaged in child labour.

As parents, we may hesitate to give our children chores in the belief that childhood is meant to be enjoyed fully. But children who are engaged in child labour are not so fortunate. Little children work in tea shops serving customers.

They become ragpickers endangering their health and safety. They work in the carpet weaving industry (where they are in demand because of their small, nimble fingers) and in brick kilns.

Child labour violates several rights of children, but one of the most significant one is the ‘Right to Education’. According to one estimate, there are 42.7 million out-of-school children in India. A major reason for this is child labour. Farmer families need young hands to assist them in the fields. Urban poverty pushes parents to make their children work — it is a matter of survival.

The link between illiteracy, poverty and child labour is that of a vicious cycle. While the first two promote child labour, child labour in turns ensures that the other two problems persist in society.

When will these children who work for a living today, be free to go to school, play, enjoy other leisure-time activities, have access to nutritious food, and lead safe and healthy lives like their more fortunate peers?