Everyday I see advertisements on the TV declaring a ban on Child Labour from October 14, 2006. Although I don't support exploitation via child labour I am forced to think from the other side of the fence too. Its true that children are being forced to work under inhumane conditions in numerous sweatshops across the world. This exploitation must definitely be stopped by all means possible. Their innocence and childhood must be protected.
But then is a total ban the right solution? People tend to mature faster when faced with emotional turmoils and harsh realities. So is the case of the homeless children. They need employment to earn and thus sustain themselves. There are plenty of cases where such children have worked hard and reached great heights. There are employers who make sure that these chidren attend nightschools. Plus earning a livelihood contributes to the building of character and self respect.
Whats gonna happen now is that those children who have been earning a livelihood till now will suddenly be jobless. Chances are very high that they'll take the easy way out and turn to crime. "Criminals are not born but forced by circumstances". Do we really need this to happen?
If the government wants to ban child labour go ahead but make sure they have alternate solutions in place. Proper foster homes and education facilities are the top priorities. Decrease the age limit covered by the ban and better still monitor the juveniles and their employers to make sure they are not exploited.
A knee jerk reaction decision is not the need of the hour but foresight, planning and effective implementation.
But then is a total ban the right solution? People tend to mature faster when faced with emotional turmoils and harsh realities. So is the case of the homeless children. They need employment to earn and thus sustain themselves. There are plenty of cases where such children have worked hard and reached great heights. There are employers who make sure that these chidren attend nightschools. Plus earning a livelihood contributes to the building of character and self respect.
Whats gonna happen now is that those children who have been earning a livelihood till now will suddenly be jobless. Chances are very high that they'll take the easy way out and turn to crime. "Criminals are not born but forced by circumstances". Do we really need this to happen?
If the government wants to ban child labour go ahead but make sure they have alternate solutions in place. Proper foster homes and education facilities are the top priorities. Decrease the age limit covered by the ban and better still monitor the juveniles and their employers to make sure they are not exploited.
A knee jerk reaction decision is not the need of the hour but foresight, planning and effective implementation.
2 comments:
Why do you want children to mature faster? And these are not always homeless children. Most are brought to cities and put to work.
Education, too, builds character and self-respect.
While I agree that a simplistic ban will not solve the problem -- we need to agree that children under a certain age do not need to be working at all. They should be going to school.
One of the things that I like very much is the Midday-meal program. I've been amazed at how just giving a meal in the afternoon has brought back many students to school. In Bangalore, there is a foundation called Akshaya Patra being run by ISKCON that does this (it's also extended to many other states, notably Rajasthan).
Taking the responsibility of food off of the parent makes them much more ready to send their children to school.
What I do not like about India is the tendency to ban stuff without putting into place any regulatory frameworks for proper implementation of the ban. We take the idea that if it is banned, then it just won't happen. That's a sad disconnect with reality.
Guruji! Hell no I definitely don't want children to mature faster and yeah under a certain age they do not "need" to be working. But it is not a perfect world and when a juvenile is faced with such a need then he/she should atleast have a fair chance. The last paragraph of your comment is what I wanted to highlight.
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