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Child Labour 

The term “child labour” is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. It refers to work that:

  • is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and/or

  • interferes with their schooling by: depriving them of the opportunity to attend school; obliging them to leave school prematurely; or requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work.

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The International Labour Organisation defines child labour as any work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential, their dignity and one that is harmful to the physical and mental development of the child. It includes work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous to children. Work that interferes with a child’s ability to attend and participate in school fully by obliging them to leave school prematurely; or requiring them to try to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work is also child labour.

Child Labour in India 

1.    India sadly is home to the largest number of child labourers in the world. A growing phenomenon is children being used as domestic workers in urban areas. The conditions in which children work are completely unregulated and they are often made to work without food, with very low wages, resembling slavery. There are cases of physical, sexual and emotional abuse of child domestic workers. A Ministry of Labour notification has made child domestic work as well as employment of children in dhabas, tea stalls and restaurants "hazardous" occupations.

2.    1 in every 10 worker in India is a child; a child who is guaranteed protections under the Indian Law, and guaranteed an education and mid-day meals, till the age of 14.

3.    The sight of a chotu running to fetch you a chai on the train platform or at your local tea stall, isn’t much of a sight in India. In fact one could almost say that the chotu has become so ubiquitous, that him not being there would be a bit confusing for some of the regulars. It has been normalized and has become an internalized personality trait of the larger Indian society, which tacitly continues to support the chotu culture at the tea stall and within the home. 
In fact it’s become so natural that, when engaging with some of our more conscientious friend, both chotu and we, know the routine to pull off. You casually ask chotu how old he is as he cleans your table, and he, with a pail the size of his torso, responds saying he’s 18. His gangly limbs and prepubescent face are a dead giveaway, but now that he’s said he’s 18, there’s not much you can do is there? 

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The numbers
According to the UNICEF, there are about 10.1 million children employed in child labour in India today. That amounts to approximately 13% of our workforce, or in other words, 1 in every 10 worker in India is a child; a child who is guaranteed protections under the Indian Law, and guaranteed an education and mid-day meals, till the age of 14.

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  • The Census of India 2011 reports 10.1 million working children in the age group of 5-14 years, out of whom 8.1 million are in rural areas mainly engaged as cultivators (26%) and agricultural labourers (32.9%).

  • The side-effects of working at a young age are:
     

    • Risks of contracting occupational diseases like skin diseases, diseases of the lungs, weak eyesight, TB etc.;

    • Vulnerability to sexual exploitation at the workplace;

    • Deprived of education.

    • They grow up unable to avail development opportunities and end up as unskilled workers for the rest of their lives.

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