Child Labour
India is a developing country. We have been independent for more than fifty years, but our country still faces a many major problems. One such problem is that of child labour.
Childhood is the golden period of one’s life. It is a time to enjoy, to be free from worries. It is a time to go to school and be happy. But many children in our country cannot afford these luxuries, so they have to work for their living.
Why are these children working? The children are working for many reasons. In most cases, people think that these children are forced into working, although in some cases children go to work because their family is extremely poor and they feel they need to help get money. In other cases, these children are physically forced to do the work. In other cases, a child’s family all die or just plane out leave him and they will be adopted and forced to do the work. Some children are sold to a manufacture and they are forced to work. Most of these children have no choice but to do work. If these children do not work, it is likely that they and their family will starve and die.
What do some of these children do for work? Most of these children work in the industrial area. Textiles, clothing, and footwear are the most common places where these children are forced to work. Boys are usually working the machines that make products. Girls work as maids (female servant) and house cleaners for rich people. Besides this, many children are working, as waiters and helpers, in hotels and restaurants.
Why do people make these children work? Is it because they can’t afford to pay people minimum wage? or is it just because they are too cheap to pay minimum wage? There is great population in India, so there is great unemployment. Still, child labour is employed due to its wages being less and easy availability.
We all know and agree that child labour is wrong. It is a social evil (harmful). In a way, it is an economic evil. The right place for these children is school. Therefore, we all should oppose child labour.
The government has made primary education compulsory for all children. Social workers and government have realized that child labour cannot be eradicated (destroyed) without improving the economic conditions of the poor. Therefore, Incentives are being given to poor families to make them educate their child.
Government has made laws to cure the evil of child labour. But, these laws are not properly implemented so child labour is still in existence.