Date:15/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/15/stories/2007101568560400.htm

New Delhi

“Law against child labour has failed to deter employers”

Staff Reporter

Children continue to face exploitation as domestic help

The ban on using child labour has entered its second year
‘India has the highest number of child labourers in the world’

NEW DELHI: Regretting that the conviction rate for contravention of the existing Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986, is abysmally low, experts working in the field of child rights say the law against child labour has failed to deter employers.

Even as the ban on using child labour has entered its second year, experts say children continue to face exploitation as domestic help and in other unsuitable jobs.

“The child labour ban is a paper tiger because child labour cannot be eliminated unless the root causes are addressed,” said Pradeep Narayanan, Deputy General Manager, Research at Child Rights and You (CRY).

“The Ministry had assumed that this ban would put an end some of the most insidious forms of child labour. Twelve months down the line little has changed. Reports in the media and real life experience show how little things have changed. While we welcome the ban, we at CRY have pointed out that there are certain gaps and unless these are addressed it is unlikely that the ban would have any effect.”

Experts claim that a year after the ban, children continue to be employed as domestic help. “While the law prohibits children from working in homes, hotels, dhabas and other recreation centres, it is unclear whether this applies to the household manufacturing sector (small family-run units) where a vast number of children are employed in similar working conditions,” said Mr. Narayanan.

Suggesting the strengthening of both enforcement mechanisms and provisions for rehabilitation of the rescued children, he said: “Why this effort is a complete non-starter is because it fails to address the reasons why children have to work instead of going to school. Even if the current legislation is rigorously enforced and even if rehabilitation processes are perfect, the supply chain of cheap child labour will always be available.”

Pointing out that India has the highest number of child labourers in the world, the official said child labour in the country is largely the outcome of social inequality.