By: Rameeza Shaikh
These two words "child" and "labour" when used together, we all recognize it as somethingillegal but do we consider that child labour is something wrong? Think again, do we really look down upon child labour? No. Because we are the same people who go down the road to our nearest shop and call out for "chotu" to vend us the products we want. And we are aware of the fact that there are many "chotus" in our city and our country. My college canteen has a child worker. I saw him some time back when he was cleaning a table. And I really wondered if I'm really inside an education firm?
The Times of India revealed that India has the largest number of child laborers in the world - 49.84 lakh. Karnataka has the seventh largest child labour presence; rights groups say around 36 lakh are child labourers in the state. Gulbarga has the highest number of child labourers in Karnataka. A fact-finding team said there are at least 200,000 boys and girls working from morning to night in the iron quarries of Bellary. Bangalore is estimated to have 2 lakh child workers.
Most of these children end up having no education. They know to read and write only as much as required at their work places. These children working in canteens, restaurants, hotels, dhabas, factories etc. need guidance and support like all other children (like those living in our families). Don’t you think that they have right to get education, to have choices in life like others? We, as literate people, know the importance of education. Education is not something that helps a person to earn money, it is something that helps to connect with the realities of life; physical, mental and social realities. We were supposed to be educated human beings but it’s a pity that our education didn't benefit the human values that we are supposed to uphold.
When such issues come up, common people like us start blaming the government and politicians. Why blame them when we never even cared to speak against such issues? Do we ever stand up against a shopkeeper having a child worker? The reason that such problems remain unsolved is not because of bad people, but because of the silence of so called good people. The reality is that we are too selfish to think upon these issues. We will only care when something goes wrong in our homes and till then we are happy to be tension free. A nine to five job, a house, a T.V (no we certainly can't do without all the entertainment), a family and weekend trips is all that we want.
One of the main reasons behind child labour is- Poverty. Having no other option, these children are impelled to work early in their lives; else they will die of hunger. And employers prefer children who are paid only one third of the wage that is paid to an adult.
Why don't those people who are privileged help the people who are deprived of all the benefits of life? Islam says that the poor and the needy have RIGHTS in the wealth of the rich. It teaches mankind to hasten to do good deeds, to help each other. Though I feel sad for all the people who don’t get enough in this life of theirs, at the same time I put my faith and trust in Allah (God) and not in the people who choose to be blind. On that Day when justice will be done by Allah, each individual will be asked about what he was blessed with and what he did in this life with it. Allah is All-Knowing and All-Able of retribution. So, all the corrupt hearts out there, you better have fear of Allah!!
These two words "child" and "labour" when used together, we all recognize it as somethingillegal but do we consider that child labour is something wrong? Think again, do we really look down upon child labour? No. Because we are the same people who go down the road to our nearest shop and call out for "chotu" to vend us the products we want. And we are aware of the fact that there are many "chotus" in our city and our country. My college canteen has a child worker. I saw him some time back when he was cleaning a table. And I really wondered if I'm really inside an education firm?
The Times of India revealed that India has the largest number of child laborers in the world - 49.84 lakh. Karnataka has the seventh largest child labour presence; rights groups say around 36 lakh are child labourers in the state. Gulbarga has the highest number of child labourers in Karnataka. A fact-finding team said there are at least 200,000 boys and girls working from morning to night in the iron quarries of Bellary. Bangalore is estimated to have 2 lakh child workers.
Most of these children end up having no education. They know to read and write only as much as required at their work places. These children working in canteens, restaurants, hotels, dhabas, factories etc. need guidance and support like all other children (like those living in our families). Don’t you think that they have right to get education, to have choices in life like others? We, as literate people, know the importance of education. Education is not something that helps a person to earn money, it is something that helps to connect with the realities of life; physical, mental and social realities. We were supposed to be educated human beings but it’s a pity that our education didn't benefit the human values that we are supposed to uphold.
When such issues come up, common people like us start blaming the government and politicians. Why blame them when we never even cared to speak against such issues? Do we ever stand up against a shopkeeper having a child worker? The reason that such problems remain unsolved is not because of bad people, but because of the silence of so called good people. The reality is that we are too selfish to think upon these issues. We will only care when something goes wrong in our homes and till then we are happy to be tension free. A nine to five job, a house, a T.V (no we certainly can't do without all the entertainment), a family and weekend trips is all that we want.
One of the main reasons behind child labour is- Poverty. Having no other option, these children are impelled to work early in their lives; else they will die of hunger. And employers prefer children who are paid only one third of the wage that is paid to an adult.
Why don't those people who are privileged help the people who are deprived of all the benefits of life? Islam says that the poor and the needy have RIGHTS in the wealth of the rich. It teaches mankind to hasten to do good deeds, to help each other. Though I feel sad for all the people who don’t get enough in this life of theirs, at the same time I put my faith and trust in Allah (God) and not in the people who choose to be blind. On that Day when justice will be done by Allah, each individual will be asked about what he was blessed with and what he did in this life with it. Allah is All-Knowing and All-Able of retribution. So, all the corrupt hearts out there, you better have fear of Allah!!
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