Wipe out child labour: Bombay High Court to state departments

The Bombay High Court has asked state government departments to work as a team to eradicate child labour. A division bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and Bharati Dangre directed the State to revive its Supervisory Committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, to monitor different initiatives started to curb child labour. It has asked the committee to, in four weeks, place on record the action plan it proposes to adopt to eradicate child labour.

"Losing childhood under the weight of stone/ machine and in the gloomy-rooms of an industry is the harshest thing to be faced by a child," the bench said, "The children, who are future of tomorrow, need not be engaged in such activities as it would hamper their growth, resultantly the nation itself."

The court added that the number of children rescued are no proof that no children are employed as labourers. It reminded the government that children were still found to be working in hotels, restaurants and bakeries.

Justice Dharmadhikari also asked government to consider that children of tender age, engaged for household amounts to exploitation of youth and deprives them of the fundamental right to an education.

The bench gave the direction while hearing a suo-moto public interest litigation filed on the basis of a letter written by retired Justice P S Patankar.