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Parents of child labourers too were so in their childhood, says study

MADURAI: A study conducted by Evidence, a human rights organisation here, on Dalit Child Labour has revealed that the parents of eighty five per cent of children surveyed were also labourers during their childhood.

The study revealed that a 15-year-old boy was involved in cleaning toilets and a 13-year-old in collecting used plantain leaves from food stalls in plastic tubs for selling it as fodder for Rs.10 per tub.

It covered 94 Dalit children, aged between 12 and 18 years, from slums near Karumbalai, Melavasal, Avaniapuram and Subramaniapuram here. Thirty-two of them had completed sixth standard, 55 between seven and 10th standards and the rest uneducated.

The data collected from the enumerators through 54 questions showed that out of their 874 co-workers, 175 were children. They were employed as sweepers, hotel servers, room boys, drum beaters and group dancers among others.

One of the children, aged 15 years, was drawing a daily salary of Rs.30 after working 11 hours a day. Another child working for more than 12 hours received Rs.50. They were also subjected to physical and mental torture besides other abuses.

Forty three children had cited teachers’ insensitivity for discontinuing their studies, while 29 blamed it on the syllabus. Low income of parents and caste discrimination were the other reasons. Two girls had complained of gender discrimination in schools.

The study conducted with the assistance of two other non-governmental organisations — Thozhamai of Chennai and Sakthi Vidiyal based here — had recorded the entire demographics of the Dalit children and their testimonies.

A series of recommendations made in the report include establishment of supervisory bodies at Taluk levels to keep check on child labour and upgrading infrastructure for implementing the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986.

The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act must be amended to punish those who employ Dalit children.

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