Poverty, lack of education main factors for child labour

Our Correspondent

MANGALDAI, June 15: World Day against Child Labour was observed recently at the campus of ‘Kasturi Sishu Griha’- a registered Child Care Institute (CCI) situated at Gaonburhapara, Mangaldai under the aegis of the Darrang district administration and the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) under State Social Welfare department. A public awareness meeting was held where Additional Deputy Commissioner in charge of the Social Welfare Department Kalpana Deka, Additional Superintendent of Police (HQ) Satyajit Nath addressed the function.

The speakers underlined the different legal punishment provisions for violation of the provisions of the Child Labour Prohibition Act and role of different stakeholders like the authority of District Child Protection Unit, Child Welfare Committee, civil and police administration, Labour and Welfare Department, Para Legal Volunteers (PLV) and NGOs, besides the society as a whole, in dealing with the matters relating to the control of child labour and rescue of its victims. They pointed out poverty and lack of education among parents as the two major factors encouraging child labour and discussed how the child labourers were vulnerable to any kind of incidents of violence against children and also prone to becoming juvenile criminals.

The meeting, presided over by retired teacher Arabinda Hazarika, earlier began with the welcome address by Director of Kasturi Sishu Griha, Rasmi Rekha Sarma while Child Protection Officer Pallabi Sarma outlined the objectives of celebrating the day.

Representatives of the local labour department, local NGOs like Crystal Vision, MAMTA and Bhebarghat Mahila Mancha also took part in the meeting along with few local residents. A public oath taking ceremony against child labour was also conducted on the occasion under the leadership of Additional Deputy Commissioner Kalpana Deka before it ended with the Asom Sangeet O’ Mor Aponar Desh.