‘Poverty, illiteracy cause for child labour’

Senior Civil Judge Devaraj Bhute flags off procession

Mysore/Mysuru: Observing that poverty and illiteracy among parents and caretakers is the cause for child labour across the globe, Principal District and Sessions Court Judge M.L.Raghunath, who also heads the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), said that everyone must know that education is a fundamental right of every child.

He was speaking after inaugurating the ‘World Day Against Child Labour’ jointly organised by the District Administration, DLSA, Labour Department, District Child Labour Planning Society, Department of Public Instruction, Women and Child Welfare Department, Police Department, Social Welfare Department and a host of voluntary organisations at Kalamandira here this morning, by watering a plant.

Pointing out that the day is being observed in order to create awareness and educate the citizens about the hardships of child labourers, Judge Raghunath said that it is also an effort to surface the responsibility we hold as social citizens.

Noting that the International Labour Organisation observes World Day Against Child Labour every year on June 12 to raise awareness and activism to prevent child labour worldwide, he said that the child labour problem has been existing for centuries and children continue to be exploited despite rapid advancements in all fields.

Expressing concern that children from poverty ridden families are forced to go to work at a tender age, he said that the problem can be alleviated to a large extent if parents join hands with the Government and other agencies working for eradication of child labour. He further said that members of the public can contact the DLSA in case of official inaction on child labour complaints.

Assistant Labour Commissioner Nazia Sultana who spoke after administering the oath, said that child labour has been haunting countries across the globe for long. Regretting that it has not been possible to completely eradicate child labour, she said that lack of awareness and sensitisation on anti-child labour laws is chiefly responsible for this. She appealed the public to contact Child Helpline No.1098 if they notice child labour anywhere.

Senior Civil Judge and DLSA Member-Secretary Devaraj Bhute said that it is disheartening to note that India has 20 percent of the global count of child labour. Asserting that depriving children of education will have a serious bearing on National Productivity, he said that reports suggest that 20 crore may have lost their jobs or livelihood when COVID struck the country. He pointed out that joblessness and loss of livelihood, especially among  poverty-stricken families and rural masses, may have pushed up child labour in the country.

Judge Bhute also asked the public to call 1098 for any assistance on child labour issues.

40 Govt. schools to be made model ones

DDPI Ramachandraraje Urs said that the Education Department has proposed to convert 40 Government schools in the district into model ones. Contending that children should not be asked  to go to work in their childhood  for any reason, Urs said that there were 4,32,000 children in the district studying in classes right from LKG to Tenth standard. Noting that 800 of these children are found to have dropped out of schools in recent days, he said that the consistent efforts of the Department helped in bringing 600 of them back to schools, while efforts are underway in respect of the rest 200 students.

Continuing, Urs said that the Department has kept a constant watch on those children who absent from schools for 15 consecutive days, he said that the activities of such children are being tracked to ensure that they do not tread the wrong path or become law offenders.

Earlier, a massive procession comprising of hundreds of school children representing different schools, ASHA workers, Anganawadi workers, members of various voluntary and child welfare organisations, RLHP staff and others  was taken out from the DC Office to Kalamandira.

The procession passed through Krishnaraja Boulevard, JLB road and Hunsur road, before culminating at Kalamandira.

Additional DC Dr. B.S. Manjunathaswamy, Saraswathi, Director, RLHP, columnist Bannur K. Raju, Mysuru Hotel Owners Association President C. Narayana Gowda, H.P. Mallikarjun, Planning Director of District Child Labour Planning Society, M.S. Hemavathi, Founder-Secretary of Jnanajyothi Samsthe and others were present.