Our children

Child labour is an old problem – one which is deeply rooted in our country. Although the government has passed laws that discourage the employment of children under 14, the number of children involved in menial jobs is increasing at an unprecedented pace. Young children can be seen working at factories and shops. These young hands are responsible for putting food on the table for their poverty-stricken families. However, among these children, few unfortunate doesn’t even have a place to call home. They were born on streets and they live on streets. During cold weather, they try to find shelter in garages or warehouses. It is heartbreaking to see them living a difficult life.

Apart from passing the law in the assembly, the government has not done anything to ensure its strict implementation. Assurances that the higher authorities are working for the welfare of the unprivileged fail to assure people when they see children working tirelessly to help their family meet monthly expenses. Why is there no government support for the poor? We cannot put an end to child labour unless we resolve the root cause – poverty. It is time the authorities took remedial measures to resolve the problem.

Zameer Ahmed

Keelkor