Crackdown highlights India's cycle of child labour
Tuesday, 6 November 2007
NEW DELHI, Nov 5 (AFP): Mohammed Tauheer, a poor office helper, fought back tears as he was shown the door at a police station where his sons were being questioned after a rescue operation for child workers.
"Believe me, they are my sons. Where are they being taken?" he pleaded, fearful he would never see his boys again.
The children, aged 10 and 15, were working in a sweat shop when police raided the premises to rescue underage garment workers as part of a series of searches last week.
Tauheer's emotional pleas continued late into the night and underscored the factors that hamper India's fight against underage workers-estimated to number between 12 to 60 million.
An indifferent police, acute poverty and poor law enforcement have made it tough to stamp out child labour, which is under renewed focus since an Indian supplier to US retailer Gap was found using children at work.
A series of raids were swiftly conducted in narrow lanes housing small garment units in New Delhi after the Gap scandal emerged.
And many such as Tauheer's sons-who were eventually returned to the poor migrant worker-are likely to be back at work soon.
"These children need to be properly rehabilitated, or else most of them will be back at sweat shops in no time," said Bhuwan Ribhu of Save the Childhood Foundation, which says it has rescued more than 75,000 children in 25 years.
Activists say the Indian laws provide for compensation to children, but that police and government lack the will to implement the rules.
During one such raid in New Delhi's Khanpur area, activists said they needed to be present to ensure the police do not tip off the targets or accept bribes from factory owners.
"Believe me, they are my sons. Where are they being taken?" he pleaded, fearful he would never see his boys again.
The children, aged 10 and 15, were working in a sweat shop when police raided the premises to rescue underage garment workers as part of a series of searches last week.
Tauheer's emotional pleas continued late into the night and underscored the factors that hamper India's fight against underage workers-estimated to number between 12 to 60 million.
An indifferent police, acute poverty and poor law enforcement have made it tough to stamp out child labour, which is under renewed focus since an Indian supplier to US retailer Gap was found using children at work.
A series of raids were swiftly conducted in narrow lanes housing small garment units in New Delhi after the Gap scandal emerged.
And many such as Tauheer's sons-who were eventually returned to the poor migrant worker-are likely to be back at work soon.
"These children need to be properly rehabilitated, or else most of them will be back at sweat shops in no time," said Bhuwan Ribhu of Save the Childhood Foundation, which says it has rescued more than 75,000 children in 25 years.
Activists say the Indian laws provide for compensation to children, but that police and government lack the will to implement the rules.
During one such raid in New Delhi's Khanpur area, activists said they needed to be present to ensure the police do not tip off the targets or accept bribes from factory owners.