Child labor
Child labor or child exploitation or child abuse is something that is peculiar to India. Oliver Twist is a concrete example of a boy ill-treated and abused in the workhouse. Perhaps the likes of Oliver Twist are no longer a thing of the past, they are still in our midst, undergoing far more hardships and ill-treatment than were imagined by Charles Dickens.
Owing to the very poor economic conditions, people living below the poverty line send their children to work in factories to supplement the family earnings. Denied the opportunity to go to school and play with fellow kids, the poor children, the children of lesser God, sweat and slog in match factories handling dangerous chemicals.
Child abuse is the worst form of exploitation by rich landlords and factory owners. It is a heart-rendering sight to witness boys and girls in the age group seven to ten rolling beedies, pasting labels on matchboxes, etc.
A UN agency has brought to light the existence of child labor in the Kamraj district of Tamil Nadu. Children are like buds. They have to blossom and yield fruits. Unfortunately, the poor children’s very future is ripped in the bud.
There are umpteen legislations banning every conceivable form of injustice or exploitation. There is district legislation that prohibits child labor.
Unfortunately, the spirit to enforce it is lacking. If child labor is allowed to grow, we can only produce Oliver Twists.