India: Nobody's Children - Child Labour and the Apathy of the State [Editorial]
The revelation of the national convenor of the advocacy unit of the Campaign Against Child Labour has been really shocking: Goa, a state having a high index of literacy, has the highest number of domestic child labourers. And what is more, the statistics is five years' old. It was collected by the National Family Health Survey in 1998-99. The CACL says according to their estimates there has been a substantial increase in the percentage of child labourers as domestics since the size of the educated and urban middle class has increased. It is really a paradox that the middle classes, which have been most vocal in their portrayal of non-governance in every walk of life and always raised their voice for rule of law, have been averse to obeying the laws and human conscience and protecting the rights of the children. What has been most pathetic is the passive attitude of the government agencies in putting a stop to this practice. However it is not that government of Goa is the lone culprit; almost all the governments have been least bothered about the problem of child labour. The government of India along with the state governments has signed the United Nations International Covenant on Children's Rights, but unfortunately they have not pursued any measure to make the covenant a reality. For some years the debate has been going on for creation of a National Children's Commission. Some of the state governments have their own child labour commissions but almost all are on paper: either a senior bureaucrat heads the commission or a group of ministers look after its work, and in either case the result is negative. The reports of violations of human rights, abuses which include kidnapping, rape, murder, torture are not being paid proper attention. The death of a migrant child in Margao in the first week of April and the apathy of the government to deliver justice to the dead child is still fresh in public memory. The authorities are yet to initiate any measure to ameliorate the child labourers' conditions, since they are nobody's children. Acknowledging the rights of the children as sacrosanct by the authorities and the rulers has simply turned out to be a ritual and a ploy of populism; real concern is missing. There is no doubt that violation of children's rights has been on increase in Goa or other states. And this has got a psychological dimension. The common attitude, particularly of the middle class, toward these children has been of exploitation. As long as they get them for their domestic work they are least concerned about anything else. Most Goans see it not as their problem but as a problem of the poor inside or outside the state and would not like to be blamed for the plight of these children. Fifteen years ago, the UN General Assembly had adopted a resolution on the Rights of Child which, besides prohibiting child labour, laid down that every attempt be made to protect the child labour at work and also attack the basic cause of child labour. Unfortunately no move has been initiated in the direction of analysing the roots of the problem and finding the solution. A CACL study points out that the agrarian jobs not proving to be more effective, there is a gradual shift of the child from the agrarian sector to manufacturing or service sector. Though the official statistics shows a reduction in the child labour, the number of these children has multiplied by 60 per cent in some states. And this has been happening when India joined the rest of the nations of the SAARC region in setting a deadline (year 2000!) for the eradication of child labour in hazardous occupations and all child labour by 2010. The government of India has set up a high-powered body, the National Authority for Elimination of Child Labour for laying down policies and programmes for elimination of child labour. But what has been most amazing is the abnormal rise in the child labour. Despite a number of laws made curbing it, the system is getting stronger. It is obvious that the government and the political leadership is not too keen to eliminate it. Otherwise there is no reason why the government should have preferred to ignore the demand of the children's rights groups for a comprehensive code bill. If the government is really serious to eradicate child labour, it should immediately come out with a comprehensive education bill with focus on equity and formal nature of schooling. The authorities must take strong measures to reduce the number of children employed as domestics in middle class homes as well as in other sectors, like hotels and restaurants.[Source: The Navhind Times] Posted on 2004-06-24 Back to [ACR Weekly Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 25 (23 June 2004)] remarks:2 http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&q=navhind+times+editorial+child+labour&; btnG=Google+Search&meta= Asian Human Rights Commission COMMENTS: Of hand the above editorial seems to be a handiwork of a sensitive person who actually detests child labour. And this editorial comes from an erudite person, none other than Mr. Arun Sinha, editor of Navhind Times, a Dempo Publication. The editorial makes a special note of children employed as domestics in middle class homes as well as in other sectors like hotels and restaurants. Constrast the above with the prominent news item in today's newspapers. I would like to abstract the news item of the Gomantak Times (14/10/05). The same news item given in Navhind Times lacks substance for obvious reasons. And surprisingly, Herald has given a complete go by to this particular hot news item. GT: Molestation case against journalist. Panaji: In a shocking incident, a minor girl lodged a police complaint against a senior journalist of the local daily. The minor girl, who was employed by the journalist as a household help, in her complaint alleged that the journalist molested her. The case, which was first registered by the Women and Child Protection police station was then transferred to the CID/Crime branch for investigations. A non-bailable offence under Sec 8(2) ( for sexual abuse) of Goa Children's Act, 2003 and bailable offence under Sec 354 (for molestation) under IPC and Sec 7(5)(c) (for child labour) has been booked against the journalist. It is reliably learnt that in her complaint the 11-year-old minor alleged that the journalist tried to molest her. According to police sources, the minor girl rushed out of the flat on Wednesday night and went to a neighbouring house. The occupants then took her to another neighbour. Both the neighbours referred the matter to the women and child protection unit. In fact it is learnt that an editor of a newly launched vernacular newspaper was the first to inform the police of the incident. The police officers including Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Ujjwal Mishra interrogated the victim in the presence of some women activists. When GT contacted CRG, which fights for Child's Rights in Goa, maintained a stoic silence, refusing to comment on the issue. When GT persisted, all they said was, "we will comment at the right time." However, Bailancho Saad members said that they were ignorant about the incident. Meanwhile, it is learnt that the journalist has already filed an anticipatory bail application before the Sessions Court, Panaji and the hearing has been fixed for Friday 14 October at 2.30 p.m. (end) The above edit no doubt originates from Mr. Arun Sinha, the editor of long standing with the Navhind Times. I have particularly admired his editorials and many a times I have sent congratulatory via emails to him. However he has not been kind to either me or the Goa Su-Raj Party. This is because I had called him a "dog on his master's leash" when he had written a very derogatory editorial about Goans during the Anti-Metastrips agitation, when a police constable was killed in a skirmish with agitators at Goa Velha. Since then, Mr. Arun Sinha has prefered to call the Party "Bloody Goa Su-Raj Party". The senior journalist in question in the above news item is none other than Mr. Arun Sinha. There is a saying in Konkani "Mazor Xhapottam Sangta ani Pollan Agta" (The cat wisecracks but relieves itself in the fire-place). Arun Sinha has been talking about the sickness of child labour in his edit and suggests that the culprits must be punished. I only hope that the court has not given him bail. He must be incarcerated in a dingy cell so that he can weep for his doings, when he is the person who was preaching to the people of Goa from the powerful Dempo pulpit. The cops at Dona Paula did find the behaviour of Mr. Arun Sinha ironical especially in the light of his writing about child labour in his recent editorial. However, I had missed it and worst still I couldn't lay my hands on it from my collection of Navhind Times. Therefore I got the above through Google search. I wonder if it is the same edit in question. Nevertheless, it shows how the man thought and how he behaved. It will be very difficult for us Goans to trust these non-goan loudmouths any more. They may have learnt well. But they must learn to practice what they preach. goasuraj
