Child labour thrives in hazardous sectors

BANGALORE: While the state government is all set to observe Anti-Child Labour Day on the theme ‘Children in hazardous work’ today, the Karnataka Child Rights Commission confirms that the menace still exists in the state.According to Vasudev Sharma, member of the commission, asserted that the state government’s claim of child labour not existing in hazardous workplaces is false. “Child labourers work outside the city and suburban areas and villages, which goes unnoticed. Many children are employed in the agriculture sector,” he said.Sharma further said that the acts on child labour and education contradiction with one another. Stating that the Right to Education Act stresses on compulsory education for all children aged below 14 years, he said the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act permits children to work in nonhazardous workplaces.On curbing child labour, Sharma listed the issue of migrants as one of the biggest problems.We have rescued at least 12 children who had migrated from Orissa, Bihar and Jharkhand, said Ashok, coordinator of Saati, an NGO working for child welfare.“Tracing their parents is one phase, even after tracing parents, it is extremely difficult to unite the children with them. Both the employers and the parents are involved in the menace,” he said.