VELLORE: After a long struggle and effort, the government was able to prevent children getting employed in industries and instead attend school. But the proposed amendments to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 that were approved by the union cabinet recently could reverse all that, opine social and child right activists.
Terming the move as pro-industry, R Chandrasekaran, a social activist said the government should hold a public debate before enacting the amendment and arrive at a consensus. NGOs working with children should be consulted by State governments and their opinions must be forwarded to the union government, he added.
The proposed amendments would encourage employers of child labour to take legal cover for their activities, the activist said. Referring to measures taken by the district administration through the Child Labour Abolition Support Scheme (CLASS) in Vellore district, which has emerged as a role model in reducing child labour, he said such efforts would be of no use and children would be back to work.
Child rights activist Ruby Nakka said, “I am not against encouraging talent of children as artistes in the entertainment industry, but when they get paid for it, it becomes child labour and hence exploitation. Since our country does not have a provision for home schooling for child artistes, there should be a medium to promote child talents,” he said.
Founder director of the Vellore Institute of Development Studies (VIDS) Dr P Jegadish Gandhi, said the amendments would empower many business firms to take refuge under “family enterprise” to employ children legally.
“The latest move by the central government is ill-conceived, contrary to the declared policy of total elimination of bonded labour,” Nakka said.