On 1st October, I wrote about the ban of child labor by the Indian government. The government revamped the Child labour Prohibition act of 1986 by extending the definition of hazardous work and declared that employing children under fourteen years of age in these types of works are illegal and the guilty would be fined Rs. 20,000 or two years prison. I am happy to inform you readers that the implementation of the law is going in full swing.
Indian film industry along with NGO’s, have lent their support to the government’s crusade against child labor. PVR cinemas and BBA jointly started a campaign titled From WORK to SCHOOL. Famous Bollywood film director, Mahesh Bhatt and former Miss India, Gul Panag, have launched the month long campaign. Mr. Bhatt said that the issue of child labor has long been neglected by the government but now it has come to government’s attention. However, he expressed his concern that making the law is not enough. It would not save the children. Citizens of the country have to be equally conscious of not engaging small children in house hold works. Gul Panag also expressed the same opinion. She said that without the active participation of the citizens at the basic level, this problem can not be solved.
Due to this implementation, a new problem is arising. Many small children come from very poor families that do not have the capability to provide food and shelter. In addition, many children run away from home due to bad behavior of their parents. What would happen to these children? Does the government have any plans for providing them food and shelter? Well readers, there is no specific answer.
Personally, I am very happy that Indian government has taken such measures. Children are the future citizens of a country and education is necessary to build up better citizens, but first and foremost, their basic needs: shelter, foods, clothes and medical treatment etc, have to be fulfilled. How can a child go to school without any clothes or in an empty belly? Indian government has to solve these problems if it wants to eradicate child labour from the country.
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