By Bamedabet N Nonglait
“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” -Nelson Mandela.
The innocence on his lips and those brown eyes that bear no malice: these were what a child was born with. There were those who were fortunate and those much less so. There were children who knew only darkness and yet, still those whose every whim was met with a kind act of love. Time and again, they have heard “the world played not fair” and though huddling together in the dead of winter with torn and ragged clothes, they still dream and hope.
The Oxford English Dictionary provides an insight into the definition of a child. A child is “a young human being below the age of full physical development”. Wikipedia states that “Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. The legal definition of a child generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority.”
Today is the birthday of one of India’s great statesman, Jawaharlal Nehru. Born on 14th November, 1889 he went on to becoming a great leader fighting for India’s Independence. To commemorate his birth the whole country has dedicated this special day towards children; to celebrate not only his birthday, but their vibrancy and enthusiasm as well. But how do those children who beg for a morsel of food celebrate this day? Are they even aware that this day is wholly dedicated to them? And what of those who work in the tea stalls and households who provide for their entire families? Are they ever given an air of importance like a privileged child? To be fair is never the way of the world, nor of our society.
Poverty and child labour are two of the biggest problems in our State. The Census of India as of 2001 states that among all the North-Eastern States, Meghalaya and Mizoram rank highest in child labour, with Meghalaya showing 8.22% while Mizoram showed 12.34% of child labourers. Research shows that the brain of a child is more perceptive and more creative than that of an adult. When we fail to tap into their genius and talents, when we hunger for power and greed, we trample upon the spirit of innovation. We throw away diamonds and emeralds to the pigs.
A recent UNICEF Report (2005) on the state of the world’s children under the title “Childhood Under Threat” , while speaking about India, states that millions of Indian children are equally deprived of their rights to survival, health, nutrition, education and safe drinking water. It is reported that 63 per cent of them go to bed hungry and 53 per cent suffer from chronic malnutrition.
The report says that 147 million children live in kuchcha houses, 77 million do not use drinking water from a tap, 85 million are not being immunized, 27 million are severely underweight and 33 million have never been to school. It estimates that 72 million children in India between 5 and 14 years do not have access to basic education. A girl child is the worst victim as she is often neglected and is discriminated against because of the preference for a boy child.
How do we solve a problem so imbedded in our minds that it no longer seems dangerous? We make up excuses that we do the wrong things for the right reasons. How is it that I preach yet do bad things? It is so easy to play the “blame game” and call each other hypocrites. Effortlessly, we call others corrupt when we do the same.
It is through the experienced knowledge of those in politics that legislations and deliberations have brought out such laws like the Factories Act (1948) which prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years in any factory. The law also defines who, when and how long can pre-adults aged 15-18 years be employed in any factory. The Mines Act (1952) prohibits the employment of children below 18 years of age in a mine, The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986 prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years in hazardous occupations identified in a list by the law. The list was expanded in 2006, and again in 2008.
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) of Children Act of 2000 makes it a cognisable offence with a prison term for anyone to procure or employ a child in any hazardous employment or in bondage. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009, mandates free and compulsory education for all children aged 6 to 14 years. This legislation also mandates that 25 percent of seats in every private school must be allocated for children from disadvantaged groups and physically challenged children. Schemes such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan which provides Mid-Day meals to school going children, schemes from the Social Welfare Department (Vocational Training, Health Care, Supplementary Nutrition, etc.) as well as the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme in 1988 have also been initiated and implemented.
On a realistic note however, how much of these schemes and Acts are fully working or implemented? We do not know because behind closed curtains and doors, there resides the problem of inefficiency and corruption not only in the Governmental agencies but in the public sector as well. We believe that people are ignorant and therefore, we have the right to exploit those weaker than us. We can make them work for so many hours with little to no pay at all and worse is when children are employed to do menial work or hurt themselves scurrying through little mine shafts or hurting their little fingers making glass bangles and the surplus value all goes to the entrepreneur, the “big man” with the big Fancy Car and the fancy clothes. We say we live in a democracy but just how democratic are we when predicaments like these are a common sight? We say we are human but there is nothing human when a little boy is trapped in a coal mine and suffocates due to lack of air.
A wise man once said, with every new day, there arises a new opportunity. This is a call not to condemn or to fantasize but to inspire our souls, to join hands and beat a common enemy. Some may say that this is mere idealisation or a fantastical, Utopian dream but following Mahatma Gandhi’s quote, “Be the change you wish to see,” let us change how we think and see things for what they are. Let us pool ideas and work together for a “child labour free” state and country. Let today be an ode to those young, bright minds who will indefinitely shape our future for a better and hopeful tomorrow.
(The author is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Synod College : email:[email protected])