Make it work for children

Every progressive legislation passed in India is accompanied by the all-important question of whether it will be implemented effectively. The latest is the ban on children working as domestics, in hotels, roadside teashops and the hospitality industry. The Technical Advisory Committee on Child Labour that recommended the ban found that children in these professions are particularly vulnerable to physical and mental abuse, most of which goes unreported.

With this, an enormous loophole has been plugged in the Child Labour (Prevention and Regulation) Act, 1986 that stipulates that no child up to the age of 14 can work in hazardous industries. Work in households and eateries did not fall under the category of ‘hazardous’. But, as we all know, the Act counts for little with at least 10 crore child workers in dangerous industries like firecrackers, bidi-making and textiles.

For years, the fact that young children were employed in homes and eateries has been worrying activists. Many people, especially in urban areas, saw nothing wrong in employing children on the grounds that this was a better life than their earlier poverty-stricken existence. Many of these children are expected to work longer hours than most adults do and with very little or sometimes no salary. Many of us have frequented roadside eateries and thought nothing of being served by the ubiquitous chhotu. Now this will not be permitted.

Whether this will be followed is another matter. Besides, practical problems remain. What, for example, will happen to those children already working in these areas? How and where will they be rehabilitated? Yet, looking at the positive side, the presence of such legislation at least makes it possible to clamp down on this practice.

The government has to make a greater effort to prevent more children joining the workforce. It must carry out its constitutional duty to ensure primary education for children between 6-14. The best antidote to child labour is to make sure children go to school.

It is ironic that India has both the highest number of child labour laws in the world as well as the highest number of child workers. But more laws are needed to make it counterproductive for employers to recruit children. The latest law may not eradicate the use of child labour, but is a significant first step that activists must seize and use to the best advantage of child workers.