COIMBATORE: Freed from the clutches of child labour, Pushra Banu, a native of Palghat completed her Class XII scoring 994/1200 from a private school in Tirupur to join Angel Engineering College there. Thanks to National Child Labour Project (NCLP) here that paved way for her studies.
Unwinding her story to Express , she said that her parents who were farm workers had to migrate to Tirupur in search of better prospects.
Though her parents wanted to put her in a school she was denied admission because she wasn’t familiar with Tamil. Hence, she had to accompany her parents to hosiery unit.
“After I was rescued, I was put at Jaivabai Higher Secondary School where I cleared my Class XII. On merit, I got BE (computer science and engineering) at the engineering college. However, my parents through sponsors are mobilising funds for my college fees. Things would materialise,” she hoped.
Similar is the case with M Suganya, who was rescued from a centre engaged in beading works near Perur. She too was offered a seat by a private college near Perur. Suganya said she plans to continue her PG after her BSc in computer science.
For Dinesh Babu, a child labourer at a tailoring unit, was set free to be admitted to a regular school. “I have got a seat at Park’s College in Tirupur and my mother is mobilising funds for my fees,” he said.
Both A Ruby and Deepa Angeline have got B Com seats at Government Arts College. Ruby was working at a old paper godown while Deepa Angeline was spotted at a plastic manufacturing unit. Both their parents were daily-wage earners. The duo were on cloud nine on getting admission. Rumesh who was rescued from a leather manufacturing unit is doing his third year Diploma in Textile Technology at Karpagam Polytechnic.
It is heartening to note that NCLP in Coimbatore had played a proactive role in mainstreaming children in regular schools. Five of them who were rescued in 2003 were put in regular schools and have complete Class XII.
NCLP project director Vijaykumar said that during 2007-2009, 24 children cleared their SSLC, 10 passed Class XII and 2 are in Class IX.
NCLP received funds for rehabilitation and welfare of the rescued child labourers from Factories and Labour departments after the employers were convicted under the Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act, 1986. About 17 cases were convicted between 2005 and 2008-09 fetching a fine of Rs 3.25 lakh. NCLP has 15 special schools in the district (3 in Coimbatore, 7 in Tirupur and 5 in Pollachi) wherein 375 child labourers are enrolled. Thereafter they are mainstreamed into regular schools.
