Samuel Smiles a  Scottish author quoted “Childhood is like a mirror which reflects the images first presented to it. The first joy, the first sorrow , the first success and the first failure all of which paint the foreground of their life.” Childhood is the the most precious years of ones life. Childhood not only builds the character of a person but also provides a reason to live their dream life.

However in todays era child labour has become a serious threat to the society. International  Labor Organization (ILO) defines child labor “as the work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity and that is harmful to the physical and mental development.”

Poverty in our country is the major reason for such a setback. Large number of population in India is under poverty line and parents are generally under employed because of which the children of the house are forced to work to meet the ends of livelihood. Illiteracy and ignorance of the parents towards a childs development is another major cause for child labour. Generally parents fail to understand the importance and benefits of education because of which they force the child of the house to leave schooling and work. Large families and the dysfunctional individuals that lack social security may sometimes force kids of the house to work. There are few factories such as carpet and Bidi factories that prefer child as a labour and such children are sometimes called as nimble fingers because of the intricate work required in the industries. Lack of awareness regarding this issue is still lacking in the society. We still see a “chotu” working on small dabhas on the highway or a chotu working in garden. At times we ourselves employ small kids to clean the house

 Failure of grants and scholarship from reaching the beneficiaries and the failure to protect the orphans are few of the other causes.

 Child labor usually hampers the growth of a child and may have a long lasting traumatic  effect. And the children who have suffered violence may grow up with mental illness such as depression, anxiety and loss of confidence.

The number of child labourers in India is 10.1 million according to data from census 2011 of which 5.6 million are boys and 4.5 millions are girls. Uttar Pradesh followed by Bihar, Rajasthan and Maharashtra are the few states in the country that have highest number of child labours. Since the children are the future of the nation; employing such a large number of child labourers may prevent the nation from moving towards development.

Many laws have been made in the country to prevent such mishaps .For example Child labour (Prohibition and Regulation )Act of 1986 which was later amended in July 2016 . It widens the scope against child labour and provides for a stricter punishment for its violations. The Factories Act of 1948 and The Mines Act of 1952  prohibits employing any child below 14 years in factories or mining industries.The Juvenile Justice (Care and Potection)of Children Act of 2000 and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009 are few other laws that focuses on preventing child labour in our country. Many states have formed child labour rehabilitation cum welfare funds at district level and separate labour cells have introduced to fastrack such issues. From 2001 Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has been launched to educate poor children of the nation. National child labour project have been implemented by the central government to provide non formal and vocational skills and education to the poor strata of the society.

 Various individuals and social reformers have also been working to prevent child labor. In 2014 Kailash Satyarthi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his struggle against the suppression of children and for their right to education.

We at OYE believe that no change can be brought only by the government or an individual. It is only through the combined efforts of the both that will definitely bring a positive change and we can hope for the world friendly for kids. So let us all pledge to make this world a better place.

Aashlesha Raut

Content Writing intern, Budding Dentist