Child labour in Nagaland
Child labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. A child is termed as child labour if he/she is 14 years below.
Child Labour is one of the biggest issues the world has and still facing. Its increase has alarmed all governments and has entailed to the creation of programs and campaigns against it. However, everyday we are still being witnesses of the cruel, harsh and inhuman reality of millions of children who work as domestic child labour, children in dhabas (road side eateries) restaurant, hotels, motels, tea shops, recreational centers and cleaning cars risking their lives in front of us: a society which does not stand up to put an end to this issue. A society which prefers do not accept this reality that keeps entire families in the poverty cycle. And although Child Labour has declined over the last couple of years there are still 5.7 million working girls and boys who are under the minimum age for employment or are engaged in work that must be abolished that is according to the International Labour Organization Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention No. 182. In general Child Labour stunts the growth of future generations and perpetuates the poverty by increasing bottlenecks in the development processes.
In our state we come across many child domestic labour mostly trafficked from Assam ,Mon, Tuensang, Arunachal , and other parts of neighbouring district and states. Almost all of them end up in Dimapur, Kohima and Mokokchung. Interaction with child labour and the parents in our research revealed that the reasons for the existence of ‘child labour’ includes- extreme poverty, pathetic educational institutions, ignorance concerning their ‘own rights’, improper access to basic necessities and so on. These unprivileged children are found working in people’s houses, workshops, construction sides, shops, hotels, restaurants, candle industries, bakeries etc. Almost all the children could be seen employed by Naga families, business owners; the children are in many cases abused mentally, physically and sexually by the owners. The promises of sending them to reputed private schools are denied and allocated working hours by the constitution are not maintained.
Some of the definition on prohibited sector for child under 14 years of age
• Child Domestic Labour: Child domestic labour are those children who works as domestic helpers, performing tasks such as cleaning, ironing, cooking, minding children and gardening. Such children face untold verbal and physical abuse from the owner. Many of such children are detached from families, friends and many live under the mercy of the owner.
• Bonded labour: This involves children working for an employer either for cash or kind without the child being able to leave the employer. In most such cases parents are indebted to the employer; either socially or financially. Some children are also sold out with or with the knowledge of their parents and child himself or herself. Most of such children ran away from the employer because of the severe punishment and labour.
• Exploited labour: This involves children being used for cheap labour without any conforming to the labour law. They are made to work for more than eight hours a day, paid very little and often subjected to cruelty.
• Hazardous labour; This involves children working in mines, chemicals and explosive factories, glass, wood, stone cutting industries, welding, painting, electrical shop, sales persons, rag picking and heavy materials lifting. Here risk to life and hazards to healthy growth and development are high and remuneration may or may not be on part with the job.
• Non-hazardous labour; This involves children engaged in agricultural labour, the hotel, restaurants, dhabas, domestic work, street vegetable vendors and other manual work.
• Wage labour: Children are also found working as wage labourer, whose primary means of income is from the selling of his or her labour in this way.
Some of the Occupation/Processes prohibited under sec 3 of child labour prohibition and regulation Act 1986
Part A
Some of the occupation
1) Transport of passengers, goods or mails by railway
2) Work in a catering establishment at railway station , involving the movement of a vendor or any other employee of the establishment from one platform to another or into or out of moving train.
3) Automobile workshop and garages
4) Employment of children as domestic workers or servant
5) Employment of children in dhabas rood side eaters) restaurants, hotels, motels, tea shops, resorts, spas or other recreational centers.
Part B
Some of the Processes
1) Building and construction industry including processing and polishing of granite stone
2) Automobile repairs and maintenance including processes incidental thereto namely welding, lathe work, dent beating and painting
3) Brick kilns and roof titles units
4) Fabrication workshops
5) Manufacture of cement pipes, cement products and other related work
6) Saw mill- all processes
7) Stone breaking and stone crushing
8) Tyre making , repairing, retreading and graphite beneficiation
9) Rag picking and scavenging
Pledging of labour ( The child labour prohibition and regulation Act 1986)
• Penalty for parents or guardian making agreement to pledge the labour of a child : who ever being the parent or guardian of a child , makes an agreement to pledge the labour of that child, shall be punished with fine which may extend to fifty rupees.
• Penalty for employing a child: Who ever employee any child to work in contravention of the provisions of sec 3 shall be punishable with imprisonment for the term which shall not be less than three months but witch may extent to one year or with fine which shall not be less than ten thousand rupee but which may extent to twenty thousand rupees or with both.
Our conversation about child labour on national and international scenario should be put to minimal while the issues of child labour and trafficking are highly active in Nagaland. At this juncture, Community Educational Centre Society (CECS) challenge all concerned citizens of Nagaland to joint hands and act locally to eradicate problems locally. By responding together our ability to stop child labour becomes eminent and the protection of every single right of the children possible, through these we enables a child to nourish their future and encourage them to live harmoniously with the community.
Subonenba Longkumer
Project Director
Community Educational Centre Society
Nodal Director CHILDLINE
For your response: cecsociety@yahoo.com
