Need to make child labour non-bailable offence: Satyarthi

Mirzapur (UP), Aug 10: Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi on Monday said that there was a need to make child labour a non-bailable offence.

The Centre and the state governments should give funds to organisations working in child labour sector as it was necessary to break the vicious circle of poverty, illiteracy and child labour, Satyarthi said.

The relationship between poverty, illiteracy and child labour was like that of an egg and hen, he said. "If there is poverty, then there is illiteracy and it leads to child labour.

If there is illiteracy then there are both," he added. Satyarthi was here to attend a felicitation function organised by bar association.

There should be strict implementation of laws on child rights framed on the guidelines of the Supreme Court and bail should not be granted to those involved in such crimes, he said.

Later, after laying foundation stone of a degree college here, Satyarthi termed Mirzapur as his "karmbhoomi" and said that it brought him Nobel prize. Appreciating the efforts of the judiciary for its decisions to abolish child labour, Satyarthi said the decisions were lauded by the international community also.

PTI