Amendments to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 would mean little if these are not full-fledged; extending concessions under the label “family enterprises” will only dilute the issue of curbing child labour ( >Editorial, Aug.2 ). The joy of childhood is lost forever if no stringent measures are put in place to handle this major problem. The elimination of child labour is a Herculean task but not an impossible one.
Balasubramaniam Pavani,
Secunderabad
The amendment in the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 will only imperil the future of tender children, depriving them of the joys of childhood and their constitutional right to education. It may even result in extreme health issues. The challenge before administrative authorities lies in sensitising family members not to involve their child in regular employment. They need to be made aware that education can bring about a transformational change in income levels after a certain period of time.
Jashandeep Kaur Ahluwalia,
Khanna, Punjab
The new regulation to permit children up to the age of 14 to work in “family enterprises” after school hours is the equivalent of accustoming children to earn and study. This will not only have a negative impact on marginalised children but also deprive them of their right to education. It also violates their right to health, and all-round development, principles advocated by the UN convention on child rights. Wouldn’t the dedicated efforts of activists such as Shantha Sinha, Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai be rendered fruitless with this amendment?
P.V. Radhika,
Vijayawada
Though the amendment contradicts the RTE, it has been designed to support the proposed National Education Policy 2016, inputs for which have been prepared by the Ministry of Human Resource Development for public opinion. Accordingly it divides and segregates students as meritorious and less meritorious during the stage of elementary education, relegating the less meritorious to the vocational stream. I wonder how an elementary school student can be judged to be fit for vocational education. This is bound to lead to child labour especially among the underprivileged communities.
Rajakumar Arulanandham,
Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu
