The Delhi High Court has applauded the conferment of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize on Kailash Satyarthi in recognition of his work for children’s welfare and rescue and rehabilitation of child labourers. The Court made the remarks recently while disposing a writ petition seeking elimination of child labour in the Capital.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R.S. Endlaw disposed the petition of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, founded by Mr. Satyarthi, after the Delhi Government’s Additional Labour Commissioner appeared during the hearing and assured action on the issue.
“We place on record our deep pleasure for the public recognition of the works of Kailash Satyarthi, one of the trustees of the petitioner, by the conferment of Nobel Peace Prize on him,” said the Court in its order.
The State Government submitted to the Bench that the petitioner group’s suggestions for ensuring elimination of child labour were within the ambit of the Delhi Action Plan, formulated in 2009, and would be implemented. The Court bound the respondent to its statement.
The Court had on July 15, 2009, accepted the action plan, which had laid down a detailed procedure to be followed by the Labour Department for interim care and protection of rescued children and directed all the authorities concerned to immediately implement it. The State Government was later directed to file the first action taken report.
The suggestions submitted by the petitioner group through counsel Prabhsahay Kaur included a wide definition of child labour as the system of employing or engaging a child to provide labour or service to any person for any payment or benefit, paid to the child or to any person exercising control over him or her.
According to the suggestions, the police should take action within 24 hours when a complaint of child labour is lodged with them, and within three days if the number of child labourers is above 100. Investigation should be completed within 45 days of rescue of a child and the formalities for rehabilitation and compensation completed fast. The suggestions stated that the State Government should conduct at least 20 large-scale child rescue operations per month and set the target of rescuing at least 500 children in a month.
