Neeta Verma
Child labour remains a significant issue in India, even as the country celebrates the golden jubilee of its independence. Despite the passage of many years since gaining freedom, a crucial segment of India’s population and its future is still trapped in the cycle of labour exploitation. The Indian Constitution, through the Labour Prohibition Act of 1986, aims to address this issue, and every year, June 12 is observed as World Day Against Child Labour by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
However, even today, society and the administration are not taking stringent measures to curb this practice. A significant portion of India’s population, due to poverty and compulsion, is forced into child labor. Various laws exist to prevent child labor for children under the ages of 14 and 18, including provisions to penalize parents who force their children into labour, potentially resulting in imprisonment.
Child labor is a serious problem that, if not addressed soon, could threaten the future of India. Many children across various states in India are still not attending school, primarily due to poor economic conditions. Poverty often forces these children into labor. Although new regulations were introduced in 2006 and 2016, urging both central and state governments to work together to combat this issue, the situation has not improved significantly.
The first step in eradicating child labor should be to ensure that children have access to sufficient daily nutrition. Currently, a large number of children are engaged in labour in hotels and domestic work. In 2016, several rules were established to regulate child artists and define the industries where children could work, along with guidelines on working hours and conditions.
The situation worsened after the COVID-19 pandemic, with a rise in child labor across India. This has also led to an increase in juvenile crime, as child labor often leads to physical and mental stress, driving children to the brink and into the clutches of antisocial elements. As a result, these child laborers also become juvenile delinquents.
India, in collaboration with the United Nations, established significant regulations, including in Jammu and Kashmir, a region which was historically deprived of many of India’s laws and regulations. Substance abuse and juvenile crime are closely linked to child labour. Many children working in hotels, shops, and small factories are introduced to drugs by their employers, trapping them further in the cycle of labour. Even when parents wish to remove their children from such environments, they often cannot, as they lack the support and resources needed to do so. In some parts of Jammu and Kashmir, children and youth are deliberately addicted to drugs by those who wish to weaken India’s strength.
If steps are not taken to stop child labor, the future strength of India’s defense forces could be compromised. In areas like Reasi and Katra (famous for the Mata Vaishno Devi temple), many children and adults have died from drug overdoses, leaving parents desperate and helpless due to a lack of coordination with the administration. The administration needs to improve its approach by enforcing strict measures to prevent child labor and conducting medical examinations for children found working, especially in hotels and other establishments.
It is particularly alarming that children are often found working as laborers near administrative offices and police stations, yet no decisive action is taken by the authorities. Substance abuse leads children into criminal activities, plunging their futures into darkness.
The Supreme Court of India has enforced strict laws regarding the physical abuse of minor girls, yet in many places, under the guise of child labor, these girls face both physical and mental exploitation. In rural areas, many girls still do not attend school and accompany their mothers for domestic work or to work in other people’s homes.
As a result, these girls are deprived of their childhood and education. The lack of education perpetuates child labor. It is essential to strictly enforce the Government’s regulations in homes, neighborhoods, and small to large hotels, and raise awareness within society through a significant campaign.
For this, the younger generation needs to be awakened and educated. The eradication of child labor and the dream of a drug-free India can only be realized if the government, society, and administration work together in unison.
While Uttar Pradesh has a much larger population and a higher number of child laborers compared to Jammu and Kashmir, substance abuse is reportedly less prevalent there. This information was provided by social worker and Advocate Pranjal Srivastava. Regardless, child labor, juvenile crime, and substance abuse are issues that must be eradicated across India. Laws must be enforced rigorously to ensure that those who endanger the nation’s future by exploiting children are met with severe consequences.
However, the prevention of child labor can only be effectively addressed through strict enforcement and harsh actions under Indian law.
(The author is a Supreme Court advocate, and is associated with International Jurists members of London, Bemkem)
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