Child Engaged in Working (Child Labor).

Child Engaged in Working (Child Labor)

Children engaged in economic activity, on part time or fulltime basis is considered and called as child labor. There is a myth in the backward economic class that it is better when all the member of the family, irrespective of their age are engaged in working and earning money, but on a contrary it makes the situation more worst for that family. On a contrary it reduces the opportunity for the adults if more number of children is engaged in child labor. Poverty is passes down generations after generations if child labor exists in the society. Child labor drives down wages for the adult and educational opportunities for the children. If a child is born to a parents who themselves were once a child labor, are forced to follow the tradition and forced to continue the tradition which ties them to the chain of poverty and illiteracy. Which results in passing down of poverty, illiteracy, unhealthy environment, unsafe environment and etc to generations after generations. ILO, United States Policies to address child labor globally, 2010. That is why this issue of child labor is grave and severe problem in India, which affects the human society and development of the society all over the world.

India has highest number of child laborers all over the world, which are under the age of 14. The problem of child labor is not unique for India. Not only in India, but worldwide children are forced to work without concerning about the effects and disastrous effect and consequences. There are permanent or temporary effects on children such as malnutrition, impaired visions, deformities, from diseases like T.B, Cancer and other respiratory diseases. Children who are under 14 years of age are forced to work for as many as 18 hours a day. They are also forced to live their lives away from their homes, family, and friends, deprive them from the education which can help them built better future. Good effect of eliminating child labor from the society can be measured in economic terms only. It has an enormous long term benefits and impact on the society as a whole far outweighs the nominal economic hardship, which could be suffered by families for a short period of time. Child labor not only depresses the economic condition, but also the economy and leads to perpetual cycle of poverty and hardship.

Child Labor is recognized as the serious and enormous problem prevailing in India. According to the census of India Child labor has increased from 11.28 million, 1991 to 12.66 million, 2001. Adding to this data 85% of child labor in India is hard to reach. So, this data brings a question to my mind, are this children working in unorganized sector. Are these children in rural or urban area and many more such questions. The child labor (Prohibition & Regulation) Act of 1986 prohibits the entry of children into hazardous occupation. Although this efforts are made, but we are unsuccessful in preventing children to engage in such activity.

Jay Rawal

(MACJ)