What is Child Labour
Child labour is the natural consequence of a poor country afflicted by the problems of underdevelopment in which children under the age of 14 are forced to work in an unhygienic atmosphere.
Essay on Child Labour in English in 1000 words
• Introduction:
Childhood is the most innocent phase in human life. It is during childhood that a child learns the basic fundamentals of life and is prepared for the adult life. But millions of children are exploited during this phase of life instead of spending it in a carefree and fun-loving manner while learning and playing. They can not but start hating their childhood and involve themselves in dungeon child labour where they are controlled and tortured by others. They would love to break-free from this world, but continue to be where they are, not out of choice, but force. This is the true tragedy of child labour.
• Statistics of Child Labour:
It is hard to believe that as many as 73 million children representing approximately 13% if the child population in 10-14 years age group are employed in different and even fatal kind of occupations all across the globe. As per Census, the total child population in India in the age group of 5-14 years is 259.6 million. Of these, 10.1 million (4% of total child population) are working either as main worker or as marginal worker.
Children, who make up about 40% of India’s population, still suffer from malnutrition, poverty, disease, cruel exploitation through forced child labour. It is a national shame that of 30 million street children worldwide, 11 million are in India, leading a wretched life, ill clad and hungry, sleeping on the pavements, picking rags, begging or allowing themselves to be exploited in different trade or occupations. Children under fourteen constitute around 3.6% of the total labour force in India.
Of these nine out of every ten work for their own family agricultural activities. Less than 9% work in manufacturing, services and repair workshops. Only about 0.8% work in factories. Among the industries, glass and bangle industry is estimated to employ around sixty thousand children who are forced to work under excessive heat and life threatening situations. Asia tops the list with 45 million children at work followed by Africa with 24 million and Latin America with 5 million. However, it is the carpet industry in India, which employs the largest number of children estimated to be more than four lakhs.
• Causes of Child Labour:
The most primary reasons, which play a pivotal role in this ever-growing social malice of child labour, are poverty and lack of education. Poor parents give birth to children thinking them as money-making machines. Their poverty makes them think that more the people in house, more will be the income. They carry infants to earn more on the streets from begging.
Then as they grow, they make them beggars, and eventually sell them to employers instead of imparting them quality education. This malady is rampant across the length and breadth of worldwide. After all, it is the money that drives the poor parents to use their children as additional sources of income. So, some sort of pecuniary assistance should be provided and continued even after the child is withdrawn from the active employment and till he is completely mainstreamed.
Despite the fact that eradicating the menace seems like a difficult and nearly impossible task, immense efforts have to be made in this direction. The first and the most important step would be to become aware of the causes of child labour. The leading reason is that children are employed because they are easier to exploit. On the other hand, people sell their children as commodities to exploitive employers to have additional sources of income.
• Laws Prohibiting Child Labour:
We have several laws prohibiting the employment of children below certain age, like the employment of children Act 1933, The Factories Act 1948, Enforcement of Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act 1986 etc. The Constitution of India also prohibits the exploitation of children in the form of child labour. However, the evil thrives despite the fact that the child labour is economically unsound, psychologically disastrous and ethically wrong.
The National Policy on Child Labour formulated in 1987 seeks to adopt a gradual and sequential approach with a focus on rehabilitation of children working in hazardous occupations and processes. The Action Plan outlined the Legislative Action Plan for the strict enforcement of Child Labour Act and other labour laws.
• Steps Taken to Stop Child Labour:
The government has taken many steps to stop this social malice. Under the National Child Labour Projects (NCP), numerous government educational institutions have been established along with other facilities such as nutritional diets and free uniforms and books in order to attract children and withdraw them from employment. At the same time governments of the different countries have sought the help of the NGOs in the task of rehabilitating child labourers.
• What should we do to stop child labour:
Today, through out the world, in the prevailing scenario of over population, ever increasing price rise of essential commodities, mounting unemployment and poverty lead parents to throw their children in the dark world of child labour. The need of the hour is vocational education right from the primary stage so that the poor students “earn and learn” at the same time. In addition, each individual should also take responsibility of considering the magnitude and extent of the problem.
Concerted efforts from all sections of the society is needed to make a dent. Measures need to be taken not only to stop this crime against children, but also to slowly, steadily and surely provide every child a well-deserved healthy and normal childhood.
• Conclusion:
Despite the huge amounts of money spent every year worldwide in international levels to focus on the plight if the children, millions of children continue to live a miserable life. The only care they get is tones of sympathy and often a small amount of donations from a few kind people. This is not a right approach at all. The only valuable way is to impart education to all children so that childhood has been turned into a boon or blessing for the children.
Frequently asked questions on Child Labour:
1. What is Child Labour?
Ans: Child labour is the natural consequence of a poor country afflicted by the problems of underdevelopment in which children under the age of 14 are forced to work in an unhygienic atmosphere.
2. What is number of child labour in India?
Ans: It is hard to believe that as many as 73 million children representing approximately 13% if the child population in 10-14 years age group are employed in different and even fatal kind of occupations alk across the globe. As per Census, the total child population in India in the age group of 5-14 years is 259.6 million. Of these, 10.1 million (4% of total child population) are working either as main worker or as marginal worker.
3. What are the major reasons of child labour?
Ans: The most primary reasons, which play a pivotal role in this ever-growing social malice of child labour, are poverty and lack of education. Poor parents give birth to children thinking them as money-making machines.
4. What are the laws taken to prohibit child labour?
Ans: There are several laws prohibiting child labour in India like like the employment of children Act 1933, The Factories Act 1948, Enforcement of Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act 1986 etc. The Constitution of India also prohibits the exploitation of children in the form of child labour. The National Policy on Child Labour formulated in 1987 seeks to adopt a gradual and sequential approach with a focus on rehabilitation of children working in hazardous occupations and processes.
5. What should we do to stop child labour?
Ans: Though the government has taken many steps to stop this social malice of child labour like the National Child Labour Projects (NCP), under which numerous government educational institutions have been established along with other facilities such as nutritional diets and free uniforms and books in order to attract children and withdraw them from employment but each individual should also take responsibility of considering the magnitude and extent of the problem.
6. What are the effects of child labour?
Ans: Child labour creates a force that is ill equipped in terms of skills to compete in today’s globalised economy. Child labour also perpetuates the poverty in the general population and reduces the scope development of a nation.
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