Eradication of child labour: An endless war

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Despite the promulgation of stringent laws, the eradication of child labour continues to elude Assam. And the reasons behind this are poverty and a lack of awareness. As they say, hunger pangs obey no law.

According to information received from the Labour Commission, various agencies and NGOs rescued 389 child labourers in Assam in 2022. This year, until June, agencies and NGOs rescued 413 child labourers, including around 50 from Guwahati Metropolitan City. Apart from these, the RPF rescued around 483 children coming to and going from the state in 2022 from various railway stations in the state, including 194 from the Guwahati Railway Station.

According to sources, child trafficking to Assam from various other states to work as labourers in both hazardous and non-hazardous sectors is a continuous process. Some racketeers have been working overtime to traffic children by train to Assam, mostly from Bihar. Traffickers also lure children from Assam to various other states to work as labourers.

Speaking to The Sentinel, Sunita Changkakati, former chairperson of the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, said, “Child labour and child trafficking have direct links. Poverty is the main reason behind child labour, apart from a lack of awareness. We brought many rescued child labourers before the CWC (Child Welfare Committee) and handed them over to their families. However, such rescued children become child labourers again. This is because of poverty. Poverty-stricken families make their children work in both hazardous and non-hazardous sectors to eke out a living. They also send their children to work as domestic help. The employers also engage such children despite knowing everything about the law. They simply cannot miss such cheap workers.”

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