On the “World Day Against Child Labour”, authorities in Kashmir scouted and scurried the streets of Srinagar looking for street children and those indulging in begging and labour.
The teams of Child Welfare Committee, Labour Department and J&K Police were looking for children involved in street begging and searched workshops, tea stalls and fruit and vegetables markets in Parimpora, Hyderpora, Ram Bagh and other areas to ‘rescue children’ involved in child labour.
Over a dozen children including non-locals were taken away in government vehicles for ‘counseling sessions’ as their apparent guardians pleaded with the authorities to spare the children as they thought the police were detaining them.
At Parimpora market, labour officer, Aaliya said that they conducted the drive to rescue children who were either begging or involved in labour work. “Around Parimpora yard we rescued some eight children and now we handed them over to the child welfare team so that they can think of their welfare in future. We will also counsel their parents so that these children could be sent to schools,” she said.
She said that the main motive was to counsel the parents because they see so many kids involved in work. “The drive is not for non-local children only but also for the local children working in restaurants, dhabas or as bus helpers. The children as well as the parents will be counseled,” she said. In Ram Bagh, the teams were looking for children working in workshops. They were checking the ages of the young people working in these places. Child Welfare Committee chairperson, Khairul Nisa said that the teams have rescued 16 children involved in labour work and begging.
Nisa said that they will be contacting parents of these children. “Our primary plan is to sponsor these children. We will try our best to rehabilitate these children,” she said. She said that they will be calling parents of the non-local children from outside or will send teams to their places to handover the children to them. “Till that time, the children will remain in our custody,” she said. She said that they rescued some children under 14-years of age and under 18 years of age from shops as well urging the shopkeepers to desist from such practices as it was illegal to hire a child. “Not only being wrong legally and morally but the lives of children get ruined by this,” she said. She said that the main factor for hiring of children in labour work was less remuneration. “I will be calling these shopkeepers to talk to them over the issue,” she said stressing that the drive will continue.
{{/usCountry}}Nisa said that they will be contacting parents of these children. “Our primary plan is to sponsor these children. We will try our best to rehabilitate these children,” she said. She said that they will be calling parents of the non-local children from outside or will send teams to their places to handover the children to them. “Till that time, the children will remain in our custody,” she said. She said that they rescued some children under 14-years of age and under 18 years of age from shops as well urging the shopkeepers to desist from such practices as it was illegal to hire a child. “Not only being wrong legally and morally but the lives of children get ruined by this,” she said. She said that the main factor for hiring of children in labour work was less remuneration. “I will be calling these shopkeepers to talk to them over the issue,” she said stressing that the drive will continue.
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