Eight child labourers rescued in Kamrup district of Assam

A CORRESPONDENT 

AZARA: On the occasion of World Day against Child Labour, the Assam Centre for Rural Development (ACRD), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in coordination with the district administration and police, rescued eight children engaged in child labour during separate operations conducted across the Kamrup district. With these latest rescues, a total of eight children have been rescued to date as part of the ongoing action against child labour in the district.

According to sources, seven children were rescued from various commercial establishments during a joint operation, while another child was rescued from Changsari in the Kamrup district during a separate rescue drive carried out on Friday.

The rescue operations were conducted as part of the state government’s directive to observe June as the “Action Month” against child labour through inspections and rescue drives in vulnerable areas.

Officials stated that the rescued children, aged between 13 and 16 years, had been working for several months under exploitative conditions, including long working hours, low wages, and unsafe environments harmful to their physical and emotional well-being.

Following the rescue operation, legal proceedings have been initiated against those responsible for employing the children. Authorities are also taking steps to ensure rehabilitation of the rescued children and facilitate access to compensation and other entitlements available under the law.

As part of the awareness initiative, ACRD also organised awareness programmes attended by officials from various government departments, law enforcement agencies, community leaders, and local residents.

ACRD is a partner organisation of Just Rights for Children, one of the country’s largest child protection networks comprising more than 250 organisations working collectively to strengthen child protection mechanisms across India. Speaking on the occasion, Prerna Changkakati, director of the Assam Center for Rural Development, said, “Every child rescued from labour is a child whose right to education, safety, and dignity has been restored. We must urgently address child labour, which deprives children of their childhood and fundamental rights. No child belongs in a workplace; every child belongs in school.”

She further stated that child labour and child trafficking are often interconnected and stressed the need for coordinated efforts involving civil society organisations, law enforcement agencies, and the administration to prevent trafficking and ensure the proper rehabilitation of rescued children.

Notably, partner organisations of Just Rights for Children across the country work collectively by sharing information and tracking cases related to child trafficking and labour. The network has reportedly rescued more than 1.45 lakh children from trafficking between April 2023 and March 2026, with many cases linked to forced child labour.

Also Read: Beyond Laws: Why Child Labour Still Persists