Taking kids off roads and into school

DEHRADUN: As the World Day Against Child Labour was observed on Wednesday, hundreds of children across the state kept on working in small eateries, selling pens and balloons on traffic signals as well as begging on city squares to earn a living for their families.
Though there is currently lack of credible data to show the number of child labourers in the state, estimates suggest that thousands of children below the age of 14 are still out of school.These children are either the sole bread winners for their families or are orphans living in various shelters.
Rahul (name changed), a child beggar near Vikas Mall in Dehradun, told TOI that he attended a school for few days but left because of the beatings of teachers. “When I was in the third standard, the teacher beat me up so hard that I got fifteen stitches on my leg. My parents then got me admitted into an anganwadi centre. However, just three days later, they refused to teach me because I couldn’t count till 35,” Rahul said.
The eight-year-old boy added that he is now being taught by police teams and some volunteers. “Our teacher who is from police comes every evening to teach me and other children. She never beats us and is very polite. We study with her in the evening and sell balloons in daytime to cover our expenses.”
The kids are being taught under the aegis of Operation Mukti started by Uttarakhand Police along with a few NGOs as an initiative against child begging. Multiple drives in this regard are being conducted near Bindal Pul, Raipur and ISBT areas of the city.
“Operation Mukti has rescued over 290 children till now. Out of these rescued children, 67 children have been sent to schools. Along with this, many parents of the rescued children also understood that begging is wrong and not a way to solve their problems,” said Shekhar Suyal, Circle Officer, Dehradun, who is reviewing the operation.
Even though children are being rescued from begging, lack of adequate options for them remains an area of concern. Suresh Uniyal, state co-ordinator, Bachpan Bachao Andolan told TOI that the government must step up its aid work so that proper rehabilitation is provided to children. “We have seen that the children who are rescued once again go back to begging or get any other small job to sustain their families. This can be changed only if the children are rehabilitated, sent to schools and offered a proper place to stay,” Uniyal said.
Child psychologist Dr Sona Kaushal Gupta added that the rescued children also need to be provided proper emotional support. “It is necessary that the caretakers at children homes are counselled so that they develop empathy, love and affection towards the rescued children and help them feel safe.”
Times View
The problem of child labour is an acute one which needs a holistic and long-term solution. This requires not just focusing on the children but also their families. If parents are provided a sustainable means of earning their livelihood, it will enable the child to focus on studies without the pressure of becoming a bread-winner. In case of orphans, sufficient number of shelter homes are required which need to be closely monitored by civic groups to ensure that rescued kids are not abused and forced to return to the streets.