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DIFFERENT VIEW ON CHILD LABOUR:
What is child labour? A child working in a movie is not a
child labour? Young Children below 14 to 17 years playing different games isn’t
it a child labour? Children participating in different dance and music
competition, isn’t it not a child labour?
India’s population is increasing at a very faster rate than
the population of rabbits in the forests of India. Is it possible to give
employment to everyone if he or she is a graduate? In low socioeconomic class
the child of 10 to 12 years or more goes with his or her father/mother to the
place of work and starts learning the trade which may be from waving carpets, stitching,
hair cutting, cycle or car repair technique, so what is the problem with the
public or the social activists? By the time ‘Munna’ or ‘Munni’ become 18 years
he or she must have mustered the art of his or her father’s or mother’s
trade, so you are getting an expert without investing anything. Most of these
child labours are school drop outs because they have no interest or inclination
to study as after class 8 standard in government schools no free food is
supplied in mid-day meals. Sachin Tendulkar, Jennifer Capriati, Mustaq Mohammad,
Douglas, Nadia Comaneci ,recently youth Olympics and many more played the game
at a very young age and became world famous only because they could master the
trade at an early age, isn’t it a form
of child labour? China trains it small children through torture for the
Olympics, is it not child labour? All eyes are on India be it rape or child
labour as if it’s only country with these problems.
Actually the problem is neither with the parents nor with the
society but with the western media and few of our pseudo moralist sympathizers of children.
Western people are worried because we get cheap product because
of school drop outs managing the show in small road side hotels or garages or
other places. Just take for example if the father teaches how to make Eco
friendly earthen pots through our Indian way of making, then tell me where is
the problem? The child goes to school and on holidays and during his or her
free time helps the father or mother; do you call it technical training or
child labour?Sending a 5 year child to school on a winter morning with 10 kg bag, isn't it a form of child torture/labour? If participating in a TV show or participating in football,
cricket, swimming, chess or other tournament is not child labour then learning
the art of making idols from earth or stones is also not child labour!
Yes to become famous some people show their concern for these
children at road side so that they can get some rewards or awards but those
same persons do not hesitate to kill those small children sleeping on foot path
under their imported car wheels. It’s no body’s business if the parents have no
objection to their children learning the trick of the trade and helping them to
earn a few more bucks. Education is needed but degrees for jobs are a bogus
thing. There are majority of children who simply do not want to read but play
or help their parents, so let’s encourage them. Majority of car or scooter
mechanics in India are not qualified but learn the trick from their guru or
parents.
To conclude let’s not shout about this child labour business
but be practical and go in depth to the cause and beneficial effects of this
highly criticized condition of the western media called-- child labour.
Sanjoy Kumar Satpathy
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