OPINION: The Many Faces of Child Labour

"Every child has a name, a face and is born with certain rights." - Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi

Child labourer -- the two words that shouldn't be spoken together but they are unfortunately an ugly reality even today. There is no denying the fact that child labourers are a reminder of our collective failure as a society but they are much more than that. Each child labourer is a human story with a name, a face and a thousand dreams that were crushed when they were pushed into this life.

Here is an attempt to look at these children with a new perspective and an acknowledgement that they are not just numbers, but living tales, each with a different story and a different pain. Each child who is pushed into slavery or labour may have been living in the same difficult, torturous conditions but their journey from their homes to these places are but different.

Sold by brother, rescued by strangers

Nalli was around 11 when his parents passed away. With just his elder brother in the name of family, he clung on to him for all the love and support. But his brother had other plans. To repay his loan of Rs 70,000, he pushed a naïve and trusting 14-year-old Nalli into bonded labour for repayment.

Nalli's dreams were simple. He did not aspire to have big cars or to live in a mansion. Nalli knew that even a life where he could eat well, sleep well and earn enough to live happily would mean everything to him. Nalli's dreams got a chance to become reality when Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), founded by Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi, came to his rescue in January 2022.

When the BBA team travelled to Edumalai village, almost 300 km away from Chennai, to free Nalli, the young boy refused to go back to his brother. He was then sent to a children's home and he continued his studies. This year, he has secured 52 per cent marks in his boards and is now an inch closer to his dream. In his own words, "I cannot even imagine what would have become of me if I wasn't rescued. This is the second chapter of my life and I thank everyone who helped me write this chapter."

Chained & tortured, life of a 15-year-old

Ravi (name changed) was the eldest among four brothers and sisters. His father didn't earn enough to feed his family and so he did what most of such desperate fathers have been doing in our society. He sold off his eldest son to a 'dhaba' owner who promised to pay Rs 5,000 to the family every month. Two months ago, the dhaba owner brought Ravi with him from his hometown in Samastipur to Kurthol Bazar in Patna.

But he did not just make him work at his eating joint, he tied his feet in chains. For two months, hundreds of people saw the young boy working at the eatery in chains but such is the apathy in our society that nobody cared or decided to take any action. Finally, a BBA rescue team got the information about Ravi and came to his rescue.

When tiny shoulders took up family's responsibility

16-year-old Prashant (name changed) was just around 7-year-old when his father passed away. Five sisters and 2 brothers looked at him for safety and assurance and in no time, that little boy took up the responsibility of the family. The family would make idols and earthen pots but once the season changed, the demand for these items would diminish too. So he came to Delhi to work and send money back home. For five years, he worked in a motorcycle shop for 12 to 15 hours every day without enough food or sleep.

"I wanted to be with my family and I wanted to study too. But I had responsibilities. I had to repay loans and get my sisters married. I couldn't have stayed in the village with them and do all for the family," Prashant said when a BBA rescue team, police officials, labour department officials along with others came to free him from the shop in New Delhi's Geeta Colony on May 31, 2023.

Serving food on an empty stomach

Banti (name changed) came to New Delhi with his parents and 4 brothers from his village Dhobgama in Samastipur of Bihar in search of a better life. But they became one of those million other families who come to the Capital seeking an escape from their poverty often get trapped in a deeper hole here.

Already burdened by debts and poverty, the family had many mouths to feed and not many hands to earn. To add to their woes, the mother was severely sick and needed treatment. The family couldn't save her and she succumbed to her ill health.

Banti, despite being a minor himself, decided to be useful for the family and help his father repay the loan. He started working in a hotel in Delhi, where he would start his day at 8 in the morning which ended at almost 10 when the hotel closed.

"I was paid Rs 10 every day. We were given leftover food to eat, but it was never 'paneer' or anything costly. I worked there for six months," shared Banti when he was rescued by a BBA team. When asked what he wanted to do, he shyly said, "I want to see the whole of Delhi. But not now. I want to study and repay the loans first."

(Anil Pandey is Director & Media Strategist at 'India For Children'.)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.