Saying no to child labour!

For an industry that’s ever ready and hospitable enough to try and please, it’s is shutting its doors in a bid to say goodbye to something.

For the first time several premier restaurants in the city are saying no to child labour by joining a campaign to abolish it by CRY (Child Rights and You).

Says Priya Zutshi manager at CRY, “The move to do this came after a deliberation that despite a government ban on child labour four years ago, this state of affairs continues. It was in 2006 that the Maharashtra government talked about banning child labour in Udipi restaurants and dhabas. But if you travel to these places you see it still happening.

So, the law has not been successfully implemented. At 17 million, India has the highest number of child labourers in the world. Something had to be done and it is one of the major industries where you see the majority of child labour cases,” she adds.

The month-long campaign ‘Treat Right’ project is to go on from June 12 to July 12 and restaurants like Aromas, Valhalla, Lemongrass, Potpourri, Asia 7, Punjab Grill and Theobroma have taken the lead to raise awareness in the social cause, so that they may act like a beacon across the industry. Says Tricia Batliwalla, director, Valhalla, “Every child by right should be allowed a childhood. It is the responsibility of every individual in our country to help safeguard that right and stand firm on child labour.”

Zorawar Kalra, managing director, at Punjab Grill states, “We strongly condemn employing children as workers, and through this initiative, we stand by CRY’s efforts at eradicating this social plague.” While Amit Burman of Asia 7 says, “We are proud supporters of CRY for all the great work with under-privileged children and especially their Treat Right project,” Sagar Jaitley, director, Lemon Grass and Potpourri reveals, “We are happy to partner a cause that supports the rights of our country’s underprivileged children. Every child should go to school and not work.”