O.K. Child labour. For or against? Against ... why? Because underprivileged children have the right to a childhood the way you and I had? Yep, they sure do.
For ... What are you, bludy Hitler??
And so another debate gathers steam. Some say banning child labour is madness because it seeks to address the symptoms rather than the problem. Others argue that if children are stopped from working, they might just get a chance to go to school and someday become productive citizens.
Frankly if you asked me, I'd go with 'can't say'. Simply because there are too many children. And unfortunately most of them are born to parents who can't afford to raise them.
Why do the poor have so many kids anyway? If what we hear on the news and read in the papers is true, contraceptives are being made freely available to them. So why are they still propagating like bludy rabbits?
'Shoot the bastards' is what my buddy Ally always says. 'Khabardar agar ek se jyada baccha paida kiya toh! ... you will be bludy shot in the nads!' I tell him we will run out of bullets.
It is a simple case of there being too much supply. Which is pretty much the same reason the BPO industry is flourishing in India. And in this respect how are young adults who work in the BPO's different from children who are forced to work for a living? Getting paid a pittance working ungodly hours with untold cost to their physical and psychological health - isn't it exploitation, isn't it injustice? ... I don't see any NGO's taking up their cause.
The way I see it the only way to stop child labour is to ensure there are less children. Which in a country like ours is as herculean a task as moving Mount Everest from Nepal to India.
That said, we must appreciate the efforts of those trying hard to see that every child gets the childhood he/she deserves. You can change the lives of few, but what about the rest? Will banning child labour make a difference? I certainly hope so. But we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?
Peace, love, and cures that don't kill you.
For ... What are you, bludy Hitler??
And so another debate gathers steam. Some say banning child labour is madness because it seeks to address the symptoms rather than the problem. Others argue that if children are stopped from working, they might just get a chance to go to school and someday become productive citizens.
Frankly if you asked me, I'd go with 'can't say'. Simply because there are too many children. And unfortunately most of them are born to parents who can't afford to raise them.
Why do the poor have so many kids anyway? If what we hear on the news and read in the papers is true, contraceptives are being made freely available to them. So why are they still propagating like bludy rabbits?
'Shoot the bastards' is what my buddy Ally always says. 'Khabardar agar ek se jyada baccha paida kiya toh! ... you will be bludy shot in the nads!' I tell him we will run out of bullets.
It is a simple case of there being too much supply. Which is pretty much the same reason the BPO industry is flourishing in India. And in this respect how are young adults who work in the BPO's different from children who are forced to work for a living? Getting paid a pittance working ungodly hours with untold cost to their physical and psychological health - isn't it exploitation, isn't it injustice? ... I don't see any NGO's taking up their cause.
The way I see it the only way to stop child labour is to ensure there are less children. Which in a country like ours is as herculean a task as moving Mount Everest from Nepal to India.
That said, we must appreciate the efforts of those trying hard to see that every child gets the childhood he/she deserves. You can change the lives of few, but what about the rest? Will banning child labour make a difference? I certainly hope so. But we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?
Peace, love, and cures that don't kill you.
21 comments:
banning child labour is not the 'solution', but i like to look at it as a beginning. a beginning that people are beginning to notice. a beginning to the fact that the indian govt is actually beginning to take up their cause.a beginning that maybe heartless parents will begin to think twice about exploiting their kids.
but trouble is...i hope this isnt a token gesture. i hope it wont stop with this.i hope the next step will be rehabilitating children, giving their parents alternative sources of income, providing ex-child labourers with vocational training and a chance to make it in the world...this time, with dignity.
i like the parallel you drew with the BPOs;-)maybe u should do a survey and start a campaign for their rights.
You defintely need to ban a practice that's taken on such frighteningly harmful proportions. Child Labour in India is not like a kid just doing a side job after school. It's a case of complete dehumanisation, kids end up losing their eyesight, never getting an education etc. So banning it is a good thing, yes. But it's just a STEP.
Why poor people have more kids, most often, has nothing to do with contraception, it's about the survival rate. Half the kids they produce die before adulthood and the rest are girls; having more kids is their only way of ensuring that some of the will live on to help them in their old age.
Always good to read ur post though they r so few to come by :-(
lol. trust to kick up a hornets nest :)
this is (of the)the kind (s) of post i love this blog for ...
One of the reasons for the new provisions in the Act is to provide an extra weapon for the cops to prosecute offenders. Obviously unless someone complains the cops will probably not move against the employer but atleast with this Act in place if there is a complaint the police can charge the employer.
Recently I read about a case where a child was kidnapped and given to a couple to work in their house. While the original kidnapper could be prosecuted under Prevention of Child trafficking Laws (if he could be found), the employers got off scot free because it is only illegal to employ children in hazardous industries. Until now that is.
Nice post :)
louued the post. :)
i agree there have to be lesser children, but what about those who already exist?!
Interesting post. Disagree that BPO's pay a "pittance" - they don't, not by Indian standards anyway. But it's very true about it being terrible work - I like the comparison you drew. Seems very apt.
About the main topic - Yes, it's a can't say for me too. Not under these circumstances anyway.
My suggestion is to go the China way, endorse the 2 children maximum per family rule & get everyone fixed after that. It worked during Indira Gandhi's emergency period. Of course, she did lose the elections after that. Which brings me to the conclusion that corrupt politicians in this country don't give a rats ass about the country or the people and just desire to make as much money as they can while in power.
I wish your friend Ally could be let loose on all the politicians instead.
At least there IS a law now, though I would hate to say the much used cliche, 'laws are to be broken' for history is the proof that many of the great sounding laws did nothing to prevent the crime.
I wonder what will happen to the kids who had a regular source of income through such odd jobs? Are they gona be jobless and out on the streets beggin? Do the law makers think about law enforcement when they come up with birlliant ideas like this???
How to feed those kids remains to be answered.
unless they give an alternate source of income or livelihood to these children, banning child labour would be further increase their problems.
the govt is adept in attacking the symptom and not the problem ...sad!
when I was growing up there was a constant barrage of "small family happy family" messages. cutesy cartoon ads on TV, I loved the one with lioness and the bunnies - remember that anyone, or am I too old. But I pretty never see any family planning messages anymore...
and dont be casually cruel, these are the same people who will say shoot all the mozzies, and missionaries and call it freedom of expression. we are really all extremists no?
By the way shame less blurb, check out the video in my blog :)
How does the BPO industry compares to child labor here beats me man. Contrary to all the so-called over-exploited young guns at BPOs, ask most of them and they're quite ok with it. If they aren't, they can go get some other job. You get ok money for odd-hour shifts w/ no experience/qualification at all. Also, the demand-supply ratio goes like demand's much, much more.
I guess u mean call center when u point at BPOs, cuz most of the software services industry here (say Infosys or TCS) are also BPOs... and yes the contracts/services are outsourced just cuz it's cheaper here.
This is "free market economy", "globalization" and FDIs playing here, which most of us thought was good rather than government restrictions, didnt we?
Offtopic: The thing is we're so blind (thanks to the media) in the process that we're now perhaps 10% more "open" compared to the West. There're certain stuff u _need_ to protect (or put restrictions on). We outta maintain a balance.
Anyway, kinda have to go with essar above about the main theme of the post -- the child labor issue. Also "free contraceptives" being made available is just on papers... Are you sure the "poor" are even aware of it? And if they are then what it basically does?
"unless they give an alternate source of income or livelihood to these children, banning child labour would be further increase their problems..." -- Aqua
To Aqua: So prostitution is also banned. Why dont we go ahead and lift that ban? At leats prostitution is not evil, while child labor is. _Sadly_ grownups can decide, however, children can't.
hi..came here thru link in bohemia.nice one :)
think they have more kids despite those free nirods is cause a lot of kids die in india - mean the other india - not the 2% which has some stake in BPO - the other 98% who wud never make it.
for them more kids means more food from food for work :) begging,prostitution et all
Someone once told me that sex, for poor folks, is a form of recreation and due to obvious lack of affordability of other recreation forms this one seems to take precedence!
I second Remya's comment there!
endless debate that!
banning is definitely no option...its in some ways similar to the ban on dance bars..in terms of taking a hasty decision and not providing viable alternatives.
most of these chuldren are primary bread winners in the family.....how can u take that away without replacing it?
Chandni: Sorry, I really don't like to get into these e-debates but just a thought:
What bread are you talking about? Most of these kids get paid next to nothing? Their employers, most often, bring them from their villages telling them that they will teach them a skill (since school is not gonna get them anywhere), in return for which, they have to work. They usually get like 1000 bucks a month, if they are lucky that is. And they're MOSTLY bonded labourers; they can never never escape the workshop unless they're rescued. The saddest thing is that they reach a stage when they don't WANT to be rescued.
i think if you ask the kids, they'll tell you education is also child labor..
you raise a question with no right or wrong answer.
Exactly my thots on Child Labour too. And another thing do bans really help. Everytime I see a child making a living my heart goes out, I wish I cud take care of each child, but reality is different from wishful thinking. And then if child labour is banned how is the child going to feed himself. If the parents were humans in the first place the child wouldnt be working in the first place, so the question of a ban on Child Labour will send the children to school is ridiculous. What stopped the parents from educating them in the first place, will those reasons change with a ban.
Thank you all for your comments - very insightful.
arre sulky itne der baad comment par reply kiya ki kisine dekha hi nahi!
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