Children of labourers eking out a livelihood in the iron-ore and granite mines of Hospet-Bellary region in Karnataka are living in inhuman conditions.
Children of labourers eking out a livelihood in the iron-ore and granite mines of Hospet-Bellary region in Karnataka are living in inhuman conditions. They have no access to education, and moreover, most of them are fast turning into child labourers because of abject poverty. Living near mines, they also suffer from various diseases, including chronic lung problems and asthma.
The problems of the children of mining labourers were discussed at length at a public hearing attended by the chairperson of Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR), Nina Nayak, in Bellary on Tuesday. Members of KSCPCR had already written to the office of the deputy commissioner of the district, to take immediate action to help the children.
The public hearing was part of the survey done by Samata, an organisation working closely with children of mining labourers, and children who are working in mines. The Campaign Against Child Labour Karnataka (CACL-K) and Reads, two other NGOs, also were part of the event.
About 80 children, most of whom had left their education midway and were working in the mines, attended the public hearing.
“These children lead a very tough life. They have no access to education, as there are few government-run schools. Even the existing schools lack basic facilities and have shortage of teachers. They have no option, but to end up working in the mines,” lamented Nayak.
“We want the government to take necessary action to help these children get back to schools. We want the government to closely monitor the mines, so that they don’t employ children as workers and violate child rights,” she added.
The child delegates at the hearing expressed their desire to pursue their education, and build their careers in diverse fields.
“I want to become a doctor. Hope I get a chance to resume my education,” said Pramod Kumar, a school dropout.
CACL-K convener Nagasimha G Rao said that several NGOs had started bridge schools in mining areas to help child labourers continue with their education. Bridge schools provide education to dropouts, mostly child labourers, on an ad-hoc basis.
Most labourers working in the mines are migrants from neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh. Moreover, government schools functioning in Bellary district impart education only in local Kannada medium, while the children, most of whom only speak Telugu, find it hard to follow their teachers.
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