The Hindu : `Give us back our childhood'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 06, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

`Give us back our childhood'

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE March 5 . The national event on girl child labour, "Nai Subah", began at the Dasara Exhibition Ground in Mysore city with Nagarathna, a street child who passed the SSLC examination with distinction, inaugurating it in the presence of the noted actress, Nandita Das.

Addressing the gathering, including 759 girl child labourers rescued from different parts of the country, Nagarathna recalled the miserable and dark days she spent begging for alms at the same Dasara Exhibition Ground to feed herself and continue her studies a few years ago.

"It appears like a dream to me that I am inaugurating a national event on the same ground in the presence of dignitaries," she said.

Nagarathna, who is a pre-university student, said that she used to go to the ground every evening during the Dasara season and beg for alms till the exhibition closed for the day.

She appealed to the Government to give importance to primary education of girl children instead of giving permission to open new engineering and medical colleges.

Ms. Nandita Das said people recalled their childhood days nostalgically and often yearned for their childhood. Referring to the theme of the event, "Mujhe Mera Bachpan Lauta Do" (Return my childhood back to me), she said that it was unfortunate that these children, who toiled as labourers, wanted their childhood.

It was the duty of society to return girl child labourers their childhood. Children should be liberated from labour so that they could play and study.

She expressed the hope that the event organised by the Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL), a network of nearly 5,400 non-government organisations and activists, would spread the message of eradication of child labour.

Ms. Das told the rescued girl child labourers to be confident and strong.

The girl child labourers, who were withdrawn from school and forced to work in houses, beedi, agarbathi and match factories, construction sites, and hotels, are participating in the three-day conference along with 700 volunteers.

A public hearing on the plight of girl child labourers will be held tomorrow between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. in which 27 girl child labourers will depose.

A seven-member jury, including the former Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, L.C. Jain, and the Supreme Court lawyer, Indira Jaisingh, will pronounce the verdict or declaration on the last day of the convention. The declaration will articulate the concerns and suggestions made by the children during the hearing and aim at bringing about policy level changes to address the issue of girl child labour.

A procession of girl child labourers will be held here from 7.30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday.

The Convenor of CACL, Joy Maliekal, said perpetuation of child labour contributed to poverty in the country.

Seeking to counter the argument of certain "elite" sections of society that child labour would bring down poverty, he contended that CACL was of the firm opinion that it only accentuated poverty.

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