By Sahil Makkar, IANS
New Delhi : The rescue of child labourers makes sensational news, but it is not really known what happens to these children in the long term. Often the vicious cycle of poverty, illiteracy and lack of rehabilitation homes throws them right back into the morass they came from.
The long existing issue of child labour was caught the media attention again when British newspaper The Observer revealed last month that hand-stitched blouses intended for sale at GapKids stores across the US and Europe were produced by child labourers in India.
Following the exposé, the famous San Francisco-based clothing giant recalled the goods sourced from a city-based supplier. Indian authorities and activists also acted promptly and rescued at least 42 children – some as young as eight – from the garment factory in south Delhi’s Shahpurjaat area.
But have they really been rescued? Especially when the rehabilitation centres for children are already overflowing?
“Around 50 percent of rescued children return,” Rajiv Haldar, director of Prayas, an NGO working for children from the marginalised sections, told IANS.
“The state government has only 14 child shelters with a capacity of only 1,500 children, but these shelters are already overcrowded. There is no space left for keeping more rescued child labourers in them.
“We too have seven such shelters with a total capacity of 1,000 destitute children.
“We make serious efforts in sending back child workers most of whom come from the impoverished states of Bihar and Jharkhand. Many of them are bought from the parents for as little as Rs.1,000 along with the false promise of a monthly salary.”
There is provision for sheltering only 2,940 such children in Delhi. Haldar said the state government had to a large extent failed in its duty to rehabilitate them.
“The officials concerned are not keen on conducting raids fearing lack of space for the rescued children in the present shelters. Nobody constructs even small homes for them.”
In India, it is illegal to employ children under the age of 14.
Activists say the problem of child labour, being inextricably linked to poverty and illiteracy, could not be solved by legislation alone, and that a holistic, multi-pronged and concerted effort was needed to tackle the problem.
Many poor child labourers deliberately return to the black industry possibly due to lack of proper rehabilitation. Sometimes their parents send them to work so that they can earn for themselves.
According to the 2001 Census, India has 12.6 million working children in the age group of 5-14, out of a total child population of 252 million. Uttar Pradesh had over 1.9 million child labourers, while Andhra Pradesh had 1.36 million. Rajasthan accounted for over 1.26 million child workers, followed by Bihar with 1.1 million and Madhya Pradesh with 1.06 million.
However, NGOs put this figure at 60 million, with half a million in the national capital alone. Rough estimates show there might be 5,000-7,000 embroidery units functioning in Delhi, with each unit employing around 25-30 children.
“It’s common knowledge that in places like Okhla, Khanpur and Shahpurjaat, there are several small factories and shops where children under 14 work endless hours. The textile and garment industry itself employs about 44 million people,” said Kailash Satyarthi, who heads the NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan.
The NGO claims to have rescued over 75,000 child labourers in the country in the past 27 years.
“The children, who had been rescued through our raid and rescue operations reported they got as little as Rs.20-30 a month and worked for more than 12-14 hours in small crowded rooms with poor lighting and ventilation. As a result many had eye problems, infections and skin allergies,” he added.
“It’s a vicious cycle: children get jobs which their parents are not given and grow up to become unskilled adults who can’t find jobs again.
“It is also sad that despite stringent laws, police and the government lack the will to implement the rules. In all, 872 prosecutions have been launched against offending employers since October last year in the country, but not a single conviction has taken place,” Satyarthi added.
Manish Aggarwal, deputy commissioner of police (northwest Delhi), said: “It is essentially a socio-economic problem inextricably linked to poverty and illiteracy. It requires concerted efforts from all sections of society to make a dent.”
(Sahil Makkar can be contacted at [email protected])