World Day against Child Labour 2019
It is said that today there are about 2018 million child labourers all over the world. They
do not go to school or have the opportunity of enjoying their childhood. Out of this 2018
million throughout the world, more than half are engaged in vey hazardous forms of
work. Guided by the principles enshrined in International Labour Organization's (ILO)
Minimum Age Convention No. 138 and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
No. 182, the ILO Programme on Child Labour (IPEC) works to achieve the effective
abolition of child labour. As part of this noble venture, different measures are taken to
make the world aware and move towards the betterment of these affected little ones.
One such step is the World Day against Child Labour launched by ILO I 2002. Every
year on 12 th June, the World Day brings together governments, employers and workers’
organizations, civil society, as well as millions of people from around the world to
highlight the plight of child labourers and what can be done to help them.
Don Bosco Child Labour Mission, a forerunner in the field child rights and action against
child labour in Karnataka, especially in Davagere, too makes every effort to organize
World Day against Child Labour in the area of its operation, bringing together different
departments of the government and the civil society, every year. True to this custom this
year too DBCLM organized World Day against Child Labour at Bilichodu, in Jagaluru
Taluk of Davangere district in Karnataka on June 24, 2019. It was coordinated by the
CS project of DBCLM assisted by CREAM, ChildLine Collab, Open Shelter and the
other project staff of DBCLM bringing together the department of education, local
government bodies and the civil society under the patronage of BREADS, Bangalore,
the chief partner of DBCLM.
The programme started with a procession by the students and people from different
walks of life through the main streets of Bilichodu. It was inaugurated by N Manjula
Shivanandappa, President of Jagaluru Taluk Panchayath, Narendra Kumar, Vice
president, Jagaluru Taluk Panchayath, Prabhakar, Panchayth Development Officer,
Bilichodu Grama Panchayth. The public program that followed the procession had a
number of guests that included
Mr. Udaya Shankar, President, Grama Panchayath, Bilichodu
Mrs. Umavenkatesh, Member, Zilla Panchayath, Bilichodu constituency
Mrs. Manjula Shivanandappa, President, Taluk Panchayath, Jagaluru
Mr. Narendra Kumar, Vice President, Taluk Panchayath, Jagaluru
Mr. Prabhakar, Panchayath Development Officer, Grama Panchayath, Bilichodu
Mr. Y. Ramanaik, Chairperson, Child Welfare Committee, Davangere
Mr. K.N. Jayaswamy, Cluster Resource Person, Bilichodu
Mr. Shivakumar, Secretary, Nithyostava Convent School, Bilichodu
Mr. Basavarajappa, A.S.I. Bilichodu Police Station
Fr. Cyril Sagayaraj sdb, Director, Don Bosco Child Labour Mission, Davanage
Mr. P.S. Aravindan, Secretary, Ganana Tarangini Vidya Samasthe, Jagaluru
Mr. Rudresh, Assistant Teacher, Government High School, Bilichodu
Ms. Vaishnavi and Ms. Samskruthi, Representatives from Goverment Primary School,
Bilichodu
All those who spoke after the inauguration of the public programme by watering a plant
stressed on the need of protecting children and their rights. In the keynote address
given by Mr. Harshad Ali, Team Member, Don Bosco ChildLine Collab, Davangere, he
stressed on the importance of celebrating a day like this. He explained the theme of the
day as ‘children should not work in fields but on dreams’. Poverty was identified as one
of the major reasons of child labour. Poverty forces many children to leave their school
and opt for minimal jobs to support their parents for earning the livelihood. There are
also a few others who are forced into child labour by organized crime rackets like
begging and illegal drug mafia. In Davanagere district alone DBCLM has identified and
rescued about 1400 Child labourers from its inception with the support of various
government departments like education department, women and child welfare
department, police department, social welfare department and the civil society and other
like-minded NGOs.
Mr. Y. Ramanaik explained in his speech different problems faced by children and how
these can be addressed to bring those children back to school. He mentioned about
Childline and various child protection acts.
Mr. P.S. Aravindan added a few other acts namely Child Protection Act 1993, amended
in 1994, Child Protection Act 2015, Pocso Act 2012, Child Marriage Act 2006 – 2011-
2016 to what was said already by Mr. Ramanaik. He also talked about single parent
family and about hundreds of children dropping out of the school to help their parents to
earn a livelihood. He made use of the opportunity to brief on the free and compulsory
education provided by the government and how children can be protected availing the
service of Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and child-care institutions.
While addressing the gathering Mrs. Bagyalakshmi had a few words of appreciation and
encouragement for DBCLM for its valuable role in helping the poor and vulnearable and
thus helping in building the society. She talked about the children who are forced to
child labour and why eradication of this social evil and alleviation of poverty should
remain a top priority of the people concerned. She highlighted how child labour deprives
children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity and how it affects their
physical and mental development. She also spoke of the lack of awareness on child
labour among the parents.
Fr. Cyril Sagyaraj started his talk by asking what is child labour. He warned the
gathering that all work cannot be considered child labour quoting ILO. Activities that
contribute to the positive development of children like doing their share of household or
any activities that may help in their physical and mental development is not to be
targeted as child labour, if the labour affects their development in any field and affect
their schooling it is targeted as a child labour. He reminded the society that child
marriage, child abuse, Devadasi system (some of those social evils that keep children
away from school) should be abolished from our society. Child labour has its roots deep
in the cultural tradition of our country and therefore collective efforts are necessary to
help out this poverty stricken families. An important step in this regard is raising
awareness about this issue and striving to make India a better place where child labour
is never tolerated even as a necessary evil.
There were also different cultural programmes performed by students from DBCLM and
other schools. There was an oath taking ceremony lead by Mr Kotresh T.M.,
Coordinator, Don Bosco ChildLine Collab, Davangere, wherein both children and the
adults vowed to fight the social evil of child labour and to create a child friendly society
where in children and their rights are respected. The programme ended with a
sumptuous meal provided for all present.
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