CHILD LABOUR

This is what is written on this paper cutting from The Pioneer newspaper on 21-08-2017>>>

When a film star or film producer allows his or her sons or daughters to play a small role in a film then it is encouraged. Similarly a cricket player grooms his son from childhood to play cricket or participate in sports, it’s too is encouraged but when a mechanic’s son helps his father in the garage then its child labour. Similarly a carpet waver’s daughter too learns the art of carpet making at a very young age, then over the years she becomes expert but Americans or other white people objects to it saying its ‘child labour ’?Where as there are sports events below fourteen, fifteen and below sixteen and nineteen where are the child labour activists? Present system of education produces idiotic robots because their talents are neglected.

If you open any TV programs you will find very small children even toddlers are earning money through mockery, modeling, jokes, dance and songs which are encouraged by the parents and society, but they are called talent hunt not child labour! One famous film personality always carries her child in front of camera and in airports instead of sending the child to school? Is this not grooming style of child labour? Once I asked one economist about this paradox—why western media is so much worried about our child labour? He said “it’s because our men power is cheap and our products are also cheaper that’s why so many multinationals have set up factories in India and Bangladesh. Our Kashmir carpets are cheaper than other countries carpets because the family does not have to hire anyone for the job. It’s a family affair, like making of scotch whiskey!”

Let’s not confuse education with the art of acting or playing or participating in sports? How many of the Olympic gold medalists are post graduate or post doctorate, very few, you can say nil at the moment. Some people say these talented children must have some basic education and then join the profession of his or her family; there is nothing wrong in it. Yes children employed as hotel boy, kabadiwala, and theft activities, floor cleaning in trains, show polish and getting punished by the employer is very bad, that point we agree .Our Supreme Court has made it clear that a child helping her or his parents in their profession is not child labour. Remember not all child labourers are ill treated; sometimes they become the owner of the place or factory where they learnt the art, as a child labourer. Our point is when rich people employ their children for earning money in tender age it’s not child labour but in case of poor people with so many mouth to feed in the family with invalid parents then its child labour. If these urchins are not engaged they will create problem in society and become Maoist or terrorist in future. Money matters man money, age is secondary. With so much of rules and regulations have the western society been able to stop child pornography? Now it’s time to introspect.

Sanjoy Satpathy— A different view.