Child Labour in India: a Complex Reality

Children have always been taken for granted although reams of documents have been churned out by international and national agencies trying to better the child’s tomorrow.
Despite all the words written, promises made and conventions signed too little has changed. A good proportion of children throughout the world, especially in India, form a part of the toiling masses-destitute, deprived and disadvantaged.
Millions of them work in fields and factories, on street corners and in garbage dumps, in private houses and in ‘public’ houses. Most do some work from their earliest years, helping around the home or running errands?
With a low level of education and rundown sense of social responsibility, such children can do much harm to society if they are not treated as equal to others and given equal protection and opportunities to develop the best of their potential.
The existence of child labour in India is a complex reality, a social crime a crime against humanity. It is a symptom, however not the disease. It is but natural that one may be tempted to ask why the problem still exists.
Poverty is the principle and parent cause for the prevalence and persistence of child labour. Large number of dependent children, parental illiteracy, unstable and poor income and few income-generating assets are the more likely reasons for children ending up working rather than studying.
Some studies reveal higher incidence of child labour in poor single-parent families. However, many children work not entirely because of poverty but because of pressure from parents who themselves sit idle or demand extra income to satisfy their various addictions.
Ineffective laws and more often lack of political will to implement them also contribute to the problem.
The inspection machinery is not efficient and in many cases the parents are reluctant to support the relevant programmes of the Government because of their socio-economic compulsions.
Child labour is preferred by many employers mainly...