The issue of child labour in India: Why is it such a big deal?

Child labour refers to the practice of employing children below the age of 18 in any form of paid work. According to the 2011 Census, India is home to approximately 82 lakh child labourers under the age of 14. These unfortunate children are forced to sacrifice their childhood in order to earn a living. They have to spend their formative years engaging in labour instead. All children should be entitled to a safe and happy childhood. They deserve access to adequate nutrition, education, and healthcare. The issue of child labour is a widespread one in India. Being engaged in child labour not only corrupts the childhood of children but also takes away from them the opportunity to learn and grow. The issue of child labour is that it impacts the physical, mental and psychological well being of children. Various studies have shown that children engaged in child labour, ultimately grow up to suffer from numerous health issues.

There are millions of children who are engaged in hazardous labour such as child soldiering, child prostitution, and smuggling. It is also alarming that millions of children are forced to earn livelihoods while they are attending school as well. Most of these children are then later forced to drop out and therefore get sucked up completely in the practice of child labour. When children are denied proper education, they get deprived of the knowledge and relevant skills needed to get good jobs. This perpetuates the cycle of illiteracy and poverty in society.

The population of child labourers continues to grow across cities, villages, and slums in India. It is often found that children belonging to socially and economically disadvantaged families are forced into child labour. Most children have to work due to the adverse financial circumstances faced by their families. For them, the issue of child labour is problematic as it is a means of survival.

NGOs like Save the Children have been working tirelessly for decades to eradicate the social practice of child labour in India. They run various programs across 19 states in India to rescue children from the clutches of child labour. Save the Children works with various partners, sponsors, and local governments to prevent children from being engaged in child labour. The aim is to make child labour a socially and culturally unacceptable phenomenon. Save the Children works with various civil bodies to free children from child labour and has been instrumental in the creation of a national child protection system.