Is Banning Child Labour the Solution ?

I yelled "Ramu" and he replied, "Yes Sir !" And every one there with me in that coffee shop amusingly stared me for 17 seconds !! And yes the reason for that was obvious. They all wanted a straw for their floats and so they tried their lingo best to call that under 14 guy employed with that shop. "Chhotu" and it failed ! "Munna" it too failed ! "Oye Hero" again no response from the other side ! Some chap with embedded etiquettes (Ode to HRCs and CCDs) even called “Excuse me !". Needless to say, no response I doubt, even he could understand what it meant ? A big question for them was, “How on earth did I know his name was 'Ramu'?”

*FLASH*

I'm no SUPER SOUL. I have been to many such shops which employ children who should rather be in schools. I've gauged the trend in the names by now. That’s it the case.

This was the stuff that amused them but the actual thing that should’ve amused them was that, the chap was happy working there. I was not stunned at this. I know how it feels earning some money. His smiling face was an obvious consequence provided he’d get some coins in his pocket while returning home every evening. He has become self-dependant to some extent. He doesn't need to plead before his father for Rs. 2 lottery card. He can purchase his cap out of his own savings. There are reasons for him to be happy.

What role should we play for them? NIT boasts of being a premiere institute in terms of providing quality education, what about the kids employed in institute’s canteens and food corners? They don’t demand quality education they just wish to enjoy a basic education. And unfortunately NIT fails on this part.

On our part we hardly heed into whether our paperwala is a child laborer or not. The person who comes to deliver milk at our door has reached 14 or not? Add to this we have now developed a trend of keeping a child-servant in our homes. Awful!

I ask what if we really grow conscious and stop employing kids? Will it be the solution? What if I visit a shop and force the shopkeeper to down the shutter for he employs children in his shop? Will it work? They will instantaneously migrate to another shop for job. May be experience fetches them more salary then. A very odd scenario, let us suppose all of us swear not to employ child laborers so as they do not get jobs anywhere. Or better take government banning child labor. Have you ever thought who will feed their bed ridden fathers then? I can hear voices saying they will admit them in the schools. I bend before you! AASRA , your work is worth admiring! But what about the father then who in no time will bid adieu to all of us if his child fails to bring Rs.50 for his bread any evening.

Your social service is solicited but at the same time it needs to remove the potholes of the process. Things have to be thought from the roots. Stopping child labourers is no act of praise unless you ensure their family’s well-being which forced them for so. Stopping child labourers is just like forcing a wall with no displacement. Zero work !! You stop one and the other will employ him. It can’t be eradicated unless child labourers' employment don’t remain their family’s necessity. Rather we should generate employment for their fathers and mothers of their caliber.

Just for a thought, “ A night watchman can be a job for a deaf person.”

Think for some more, so that your noble causes really bear fruits !!

Image: Rooted and Muted by Sourav Pattanayak- Degree 361.