I was reading this article on the BBC news website, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6034203.stm, regarding the ban on Child Labor starting on October 10, which is today.
I have mixed feelings about this law, as on philosophical and intellectual level, I do believe that children are our future and that they should not grow up being deprived of their childhood. I do not however believe that just passing laws would be an effective measure. People for the most part break laws. In an overpopulated country like ours, human lives have no value, not unless you are somebody! This is the stark reality. Just passing laws without any solutions do not make sense. People will flout the laws. Unless social welfare programs are implemented to rehabilitate children laws like these are futile! If you see the states that have maximum child labor are the poorer states in our country. Dire poverty and lack of education forces these people to send their children to work. We need remedies to go to the root of the issue not just some superficial laws that can be broken.
In India, as in any democracy, we do have laws protecting the rights of our citizens but a few of them are not implemented. There is no simple explanation for that. I would like to add though that given the feudal mindset, many are not even aware of their fundamental rights! Case in example is that selective abortion or abortion of female fetuses is a crime in India. However this article, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/828856.stm, talks about female infanticide in India. This is so barbaric and shameful. Even today in India there is such a high premium for a male child. This is a culture that worships Shakti or the female aspect of divinity and yet kills female fetuses. Ironic, is it not?
2 comments:
I heard the newspiece you are referring to on my drive yest morning and then saw the video on the evening BBC news. I agree with you that without social programs to help the kids who work it won't do much. There are NGO's doing this and the video talked about one such org doing work.
It's sad how I may never have thought much about it when I lived there but since then I feel very strongly about this.
Spot on about the female infanticide too.
"It's sad how I may never have thought much about it when I lived there but since then I feel very strongly about this."
I was the same way as you. In fact I had a friend who was a part of the group that used to enact this street play "Mulgi Zaali Ho" in the late 80s and early 90s. They were active members of "Stree Mukti Sanghatana." At that time I never felt the need to involved in this at all.
I guess one has to consolidate one's own future first and then after doing that we can be in a position to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves!
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