INTRODUCTION
Education is a necessary component of society’s progress and one of the most important strategies for achieving it. A country’s growth might be praised or depreciated based on its literacy rate. Lack of education is a result of civil unrest and other societal ills. One of the effects that draw into question our social behaviour towards the country’s future is child slavery. Every aspect of civilization, even this one, has been devastated by the global epidemic. Working from home and taking lessons online may appeal to a certain demographic. For the rest of the disadvantaged, it’s been a catastrophe. The situation worsened for youngsters who had been exposed to the virus, and the fight for the comfort of the wealthy intensified.
“Child labour can also be found in cafeterias, hotels, glass industry, the firecracker industry, and a variety of other areas. These youngsters are not only denied educational chances and resources, but their health is also deteriorating. In our expanding society, it is fair to say that it is open exploitation of young children. For the rest of their lives, such miserable folks are forced to work as unskilled labourers. As young people and members of society, we must all work to minimise and eventually eliminate this evil from our society. Many social professionals and socially conscious individuals are perplexed by the current situation. As a result, child labour is a devil in our Indian society.”[1]
India, as a diverse nation with many cultures, follows legal guidelines that are also respectful of different civilizations. With the help of education, we can distinguish between right and bad norms. Educational cultures should be regarded as the cornerstone of cultural progress. The research looks into all of the other aspects of child labour as well as the role of education in its abolition. Combating social taboos without teaching a country’s citizens is challenging. However, combating cultural taboos with educated individuals who are not socially aware is much more challenging.
MAIN FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR CHILD LABOUR
- POVERTY
It is a state in which a person is unable to fulfil the bare minimum of living expenses and necessities due to a lack of monetary means. When a family goes through this period, they want their children to work and earn money to help maintain and maintain the home. Due to shortage, parents have no choice but to put their children to work, even if it is at a very low-paid job.
- DEBT TRAP
Whenever a family becomes trapped in a cycle of debt, it adds to child slavery. Children begin working at a very young age to help their families become stable financially and to assist them in getting out of debt.
- SCARCITY OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Even after many years of independence and freedom, our country’s population in distant and backward areas continues to lack educational services and resources. As a result, obtaining their children a good education remains a pipe dream for such poor parents.
CASES
- Sheila Barse vs Union of India and Ors.: “States were held to be responsible for focusing on a child’s growth and development, as well as providing greater possibilities to improve his individuality. Judicial institutions have always attempted to resolve challenges that affect society as a whole. And has always attempted to extend and enlarge the law to encompass all of society’s problems.”[2]
- Ganesh Ram vs State of Jharkhand and Ors: “In this case, the court found that under the Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation Act, 1860), if a child under the age of 14 is employed, a criminal order will be issued against the employer, but the employee will remain free and will not face any penalties.”[3]
SUGGESTIONS AND CONCLUSION
Several circumstances can contribute to poverty, debt traps, and a scarcity of educational resources. Education is not just a remedy, but it is the most important component of the equation, and we cannot even begin to examine the success sector without it. We should instead take a step forward and raise knowledge regarding the significance of education. Education is the only way we can learn the worth of our rights and have a better grasp of our responsibilities and duties. Millions around the world who work as slaves or are forced to work are unaware that they have the same legal rights as their employers. There is only one constitution that governs all of the country’s residents. No one is unusual in the eyes of the law.
We can all agree that there are many ways to acquire knowledge, but education offers us more power. And no country can be as prosperous as one in which the majority of its population is self-aware and capable of self-development. We haven’t yet discovered the ideal approach for permanently ending child labour, because despite having a remedy in our hands, it remains. People don’t perceive the link when the government enacts legislation for the poor, and they don’t believe the government understands what they’re going through and what their challenges are. As a result, if the government implements a policy that requires parents to send their children to school or risk fines, they will be forced to comply. They feel they are ruled by a powerful organisation with competing interests. Therefore, they frequently lie about taking their children to school to avoid paying a fine.
We must promote social growth through education, as well as cooperative relationships between the giver and the receiver, in which both sides are working toward the same purpose. The greatest way to deal with child labour is through education. As a result, the government must educate youngsters to prevent them from working as children. The government should take steps to assist parents in understanding the significance of education in their unique ways. Parents should realise that they are not required to educate their children, but that they must do it to their advantage. Education assists generations in growing, and while this progress may not be as rapid as we would like, it is a continuous and consistent process. A law is only beneficial if it is well implemented. Rather than improving the way the government lays out all of the policies for the people, we should improve the quality of implementation. Following the passage of each law, the government should assess its execution and implementation to determine how far it has proceeded. That is how we will be able to recognise the reality of the facts as well as the appropriate solution to the problem.
Author(s) Name: Anchal Meena (NMIMS, Navi Mumbai)
Reference(s):
[1] ‘A Critical Analysis of Child Labour in India’ (2018) < https://edubirdie.com/examples/a-critical-analysis-of-child-labour-in-india/> accessed on 12 June 2022
[2] Sheela Barse vs Union of India and Ors. (1993) (3) Crimes 261 SC, JT 1993 (4) SC 558, 1994 (4) SCALE 493, (1993) 4 SCC 204, 1993 Supp 1 SCR 561
[3] Ganesh Ram vs State of Jharkhand and Ors. (2006) (2) JCR 489 Jhr
