HYDERABAD: Despite Telangana’s attempts to hide the deep, dark malaise of caste oppression that it’s yet to leave behind, the damage being done to children due to the rigid grip of this age-old system is hard to overlook.
In fact, a recent sample survey conducted by the labour department to identify child labourers in the districts of Telangana revealed that it is the children belonging to SC/ST communities who are primarily part of the State’s ‘child labour force’, with OBC children coming a close second.
The sample survey was conducted by the Labour department and Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), to implement the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) scheme.
Having looked into 125 of the 314 mandals across 18 districts in Telangana, the survey provides a perspective into the labour situation in the most rural of the State’s pockets.
As per the data, there were a total of 14,139 children engaged in various forms of child labour, within the area covered by the sample survey. Of this, a whopping 51 per cent of the children were from Schedule Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities (31% and 20% respectively), while a startling 47 per cent belongs to OBC communities.
This data is crucial in the light that the caste-related prevalence of child labour, when analysed district-wise, can help district collectors and labour officials to target intervention using leaders of various castes and religions.
Adolescent children at high risk
The children in the highest risk of being entangled in the web of bonded labour continue to be adolescents, between the age group of 15 to 18 years. Out of the odd 14,000 children surveyed, a whopping 78.4 per cent belonged to this category.
This is a matter to be addressed on priority, because these statistics mean these adolescents had failed to complete their Class 10 -- either by dropping out or by staying out of school for years.
According to experts, what is worse is the fact that these children have had no specific government intervention to reinstate them to school.
Even the popular government schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the National Child Labour Prohibition Scheme do not cater to these age groups, leaving the responsibility of pursuing further education on these children themselves.
Children from 9 to 14 years of age, considered to be a crucial age group when it comes to the issue of child labour, form about 21.1 per cent of the labour force as per the survey. This data suggests that child labour among children below the age of 14 is reducing. Among children of 6 to 8 years of age, 0.5 per cent were found to be active in the labour force.
With this sample survey, the department officials note they would be formulating specific action plans and proposals to make bridge schools or Special Training Centres, in order to fasten these children into mainstream education.
Why the survey?
The sample survey by the Labour Department and Centre for Economic and Social Studies was held with the aim to implement the NCLP scheme in Telangana
Districts with the highest number of child labourers:
4,115 Vikarabad
3,095 Gadwal
1,298 Asifabad
1,185 Wanaparthy
