VIRUDHANAGAR: While sifting through post messages on a hitherto uneventful day over 10 years ago, the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) team in the district stumbled on an inland letter. It claimed several children were engaged in bonded labour at a safety match unit. "They are hidden in a room on the unit's terrace, and it would be locked up if any official visits the site," the letter read.
Immediately, the team along with district officials reached the spot and found the door latched up, as had been forewarned. Recalling the incident, NCLP Project Director T Narayanasamy said, "The then sub-collector asked us to break open the door, and inside we found only equipment and frames. We were about to leave the premises, when a small hand with bangles caught our eye from the corner of a bathroom. We found eight children scared stiff inside the tiny room. We rescued and rehabilitated all of them, and thousands more over the decades."
The project commenced in the district in 1986, and Narayanasamy came aboard as a block coordinator in 1998. He was later promoted as field officer, and became the project director in 2016. "The NCLP is involved in rescuing and rehabilitating child labourers; creating awareness and law enforcement with regard to child labour eradication. There was a time when we had over 100 Special Training Centres (STCs) in the district. Now, there are only 16 STCs with 270 children; an indication of how much progress we have made. The STCs also admit school dropouts and help mainstream them," he said.
Sebastin Mary (58) was part of the first team formed under the project in the district, and has clocked around 35 years of service. "We would conduct surveys all across the district and submit the reports to the District Collector. Those were harrowing times. Over the years we have managed to reduce the number of child labourers by 95 per cent".
The highest number of new children enrolled in STCs was in the year 2005-06 (1,266 children). A total of 72 children were enrolled between April and November 2021. As many as 90 children and adolescents were rescued from the fireworks units and shops in the pandemic period alone. Bringing down the child labour numbers was a formidable task.
"Firstly, we had to convince the parents that their child's education was paramount. Upon seeing cultural programmes performed by students of STCs, and their academic progress, other parents too came forward to admit the children in schools. We still had to offer them several types of assistance, including financial relief, help to open shops, form Self-Help Groups, and catering services among others," she added.
According to Narayanasamy, along with the penury, the attitude of parents too contributed much to the child labour issue. "Through a survey in Sivakasi, we found out that it was a way of life for people to send their children for work, and then send their grandchildren for work. We took out awareness programmes and convinced them of how much change education could bring about to their children's lives. However, the pandemic has reversed a considerable portion of our works. Apart from the economic reasons, the parents again began to take their children to work sites as they were scared to leave them alone at home," he added.
Making matters worse, the Union Government has not paid honorarium for the staff for the last 16 months. Speaking to TNIE, staff members said the volunteers are provided a monthly honorarium of Rs 7,000 by the Union government, and the State government gives an additional honorarium of Rs 500. "While the State government's honorarium is promptly credited along with the stipend provided for the kids' higher studies, we have not received anything from the Centre. NCLP is one of the projects receiving the lowest quantum of funds from the government," they rued.
Further, the Rs 400 monthly stipend for children has also not been credited. Official sources said the funds are expected to arrive by March next year. Although mired in difficulties, the volunteers meet each day with steely resolve. Among the many success stories they cherish is one of K Kasthuri (25). She was rescued from a fireworks unit in Vadapatti when she was a 10-year-old. Kasthuri told TNIE, "I studied classes 1 to 5 in an STC and then went to work in a unit, but was rescued and brought back. I completed my master's degree and now work as a college lecturer. I also plan to pursue a PhD."
When TNIE spoke to Collector J Meghanatha Reddy regarding plans for the NCLP, he said he would convene a meeting to devise specific plans, and would pay attention to the project in the upcoming days. "I have written several letters to the Union government on the honorarium payment issue," he said.