Trigger warning: Descriptions of child exploitation, abuse, and inhumane labour conditions
October 12, 2023, began like any other day for most of India. However, in the Wazipur Industrial Area of New Delhi, a grim reality was playing out. In a cramped, hidden room, 12 children, aged five to 10, were living through unimaginable hardship.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the city, these young souls, mere specks of humanity, toiled tirelessly. For them, 17 hours stretched into an endless cycle of forced labour, their tiny bodies confined as bonded labourers.
But on this particular day, the doors of their prison-like workspace finally swung open, allowing them to experience sunlight after many tiring days of labour.
The children were reassured, establishing that they were there to help.
A team of NGO workers, accompanied by the police and collaborating with other departments, performed a quick and organised rescue mission. “They were overjoyed to finally experience the outside world and begin a life like any other child,” says Harish Kumar, a sentiment made possible by the successful rescue mission facilitated by ‘Sahog Care For You’.
Founded in 2002 by Shekhar Mahajan and some like-minded friends with the aim of providing quality education to children, the Delhi-based organisation has expanded its scope to address various societal issues.
‘What will he gain from school?’
Bonded labour is a harsh reality in India, affecting countless lives despite being prohibited under the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986. It persists in both rural and urban areas, driven by poverty, illiteracy, and entrenched social inequalities.
These children are not only deprived of education but also robbed of their childhoods. Addressing this complex issue requires a multi-faceted approach, including identifying exploitative industries, strict enforcement of laws, community-level awareness campaigns, and comprehensive rehabilitation programmes to break the cycle of exploitation.
Shekhar, a lawyer by profession, and a graduate in social work, found his legal practice unfulfilling. He yearned for a deeper impact and believed himself to be an agent of change, addressing the societal disparities he witnessed.
“I wanted to change my life based on my passion for giving back to society. I wanted to build a career that allowed me to earn a living while making a meaningful difference,” Shekhar tells The Better India.
A pivotal moment arrived during a visit to a resettlement colony with a friend. Witnessing a young boy assisting his father at a makeshift tea stall, Shekhar observed the father’s indifference towards the child’s education. “What will he gain from school? He’s helping me here,” the father dismissed.
This posed a profound question for Shekhar: What future awaited the child without education? The realisation ignited a spark within him, inspiring him to dedicate his career to providing quality education for underprivileged children.
While the idea was promising, Shekhar faced significant financial struggles to establish what he envisioned. “Corporates did not come forward to provide funding due to lack of CSR mandate in 2002,” says Shekhar. He started the organisation with the minimal amount received from supportive friends and family.
“When I discussed the idea with my friends, they were happy with the initiative, but their follow-up question was regarding the money. But I only needed their moral support and to stand by me while I take this forward,” says Shekhar, who started the organisation in 2002.
The NGO works in multiple verticals like education, skill development and entrepreneurship, focusing on the benefit of children, women, youngsters, and bonded labourers.
Over the past five years, Sahyog has collaborated closely with governmental departments to conduct 148 successful missions, rescuing more than 2,788 children (2,065 boys and 723 girls) from exploitation.
The organisation focuses on liberating victims and reintegrating them into society through counselling, education, and skill development.
Generations lost: The hidden scars of child labour
Vulnerable individuals, especially from marginalised communities, can be trapped in exploitative debt cycles, frequently small and fabricated. This forces families to send their children to work as labourers to repay the debt, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and exploitation, Shekhar informs. Alarmingly, many child labourers in India — estimated at 10.1 million by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) — are forced to work in extremely hazardous industries.
“Children are cheap labour for factory owners. They are in a vulnerable position where they do not voice their opinions or difficulties like adults. Moreover, parents are under the assumption that their child is working in a safe environment and getting three meals a day. Despite the struggle, the child continues to work thinking that their family is receiving the monetary benefit,” shares Harish Kumar, the rescue and rehabilitation manager at Sahyog.
“I am a father of two daughters. Whenever I look at these children suffering under harsh circumstances due to financial downfall and illiteracy, I think of my children and how I would feel if such a situation arose in my family. Sometimes it becomes difficult to sleep as I am reminded of the difficult childhood the children are experiencing,” he adds.
While the number of children rescued varies from mission to mission — sometimes 70, and other times as few as two — each successful rescue brings them closer to creating a safe and comfortable environment for vulnerable children.
However, the missions are not devoid of setbacks and challenges. Shekhar recalls an incident when the organisation received information regarding a bonded labourer of 12 to 13 years old; he was being pressured to work overtime with a steel-cutting machine.
“We had filed the complaint and completed the pre-rescue meeting, and we were supposed to conduct the rescue mission around 11 am. I was disheartened when I found out that the child had lost two fingers at 10:30 am on the same day. I consider this a failure as if we had gone 30 minutes before, and we could have saved the child’s fingers,” shares Shekhar.
Empowering the future: Rescue and rehabilitation
Emphasising the crucial role NGOs play, Harish informs that the complete details regarding the factories, workers, etc, are provided by the team involved in the recce and investigation process.
“The impact of a rescue mission and the pressure built creates fear among other factory owners to not be involved in such practices,” Shekhar adds. Following a tip-off from the workers or the society, the NGO initiates the identification process by having its members examine the area thoroughly, he informs.
“We assess factories, identifying factors like the number of child workers, their tasks, working conditions, and any instances of physical or mental exploitation,” explains Harish. “In areas like Wazirpur, industrialists are highly vigilant with constant CCTV surveillance, prompting the rescue team to often resort to undercover tactics, entering factories disguised as workers. The entry and exit of vehicles during the mission is mapped to perfection.”
After gathering the necessary evidence, a written complaint is filed with the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM). Subsequently, a pre-rescue meeting is convened by the SDM or the District Magistrate (DM), bringing together representatives from various departments, including labour, revenue, police, medical, and the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
“While the SOP demands the completion of the rescue mission 48 hours after the meeting, the involvement of multiple departments and the availability of the SDM sometimes delays the process,” Shekhar admits.
“Since we are the facilitators for the rescue mission, we become the witness for the same. The Government deals with proper documentation of the details. All the FIR copies are maintained by us to keep track of the conducted and upcoming missions,” he adds.
The date and time for the rescue mission are fixed without revealing details like the address and factory name to avoid external hurdles and challenges.
“Sometimes political pressure and involvement of goons makes the rescue tricky,” says Shekhar. “We get threats via calls and messages; we also have been harmed and threatened earlier. To avoid this, we request an additional police force and take them during the rescue to handle the situation effectively,” he adds.
Following a successful rescue, the children undergo a thorough medical examination to assess for signs of abuse, physical and mental, and other health issues due to exposure to hazardous factories like coating, steel, utensils, embroidery, and the like. “Unfortunately, sexual abuse remains a significant concern, particularly for girls,” Shekhar says.
The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) subsequently places the children in Child Care Institutes (CCIs) for rehabilitation until they can be reunited with their families. Comprehensive counselling is provided for both the children and their parents so that they don’t get into the vicious circle of bonded labour.
Most of the time, these children are not given the wages for the tiresome work done but are underpaid and forced to live in pathetic conditions. To ensure the children receive their rightful compensation, the Labour Department takes responsibility for settling the back wages for the children; until then, the factory remains sealed. “Halting production increases the financial pressure on the factory owner, incentivising them to settle the outstanding payments quickly,” shares Shekhar.
“We also provide ration supplies enough for a month to the rescued children as we don’t want them or their families to think of the children as a financial burden. We provide whatever the child needs — clothes, stationary, depending on their needs,” Harish reiterates.
Sharing smiles
One rescue mission that remains etched in Shekhar’s memory involved locating a nine-year-old girl working as a domestic servant in North Delhi. “The only lead we had was an intermittent phone number provided by her father, who had reported to the Odisha police to find his daughter, stating that she had been taken away for a sum of Rs 10,000,” he shares.
Working closely with the police department, they tracked the phone number and pinpointed the general location. However, identifying the individual behind the number proved challenging, requiring four days of intensive investigation.
“Despite the difficulties, the joy of witnessing the father and daughter reunite after four years made every effort worthwhile. That profound sense of fulfilment drives me in this challenging work,” shares Shekhar, representing everybody who works under challenging circumstances.
To provide a comfortable future for the children, they are enrolled in schools to exercise their fundamental right — education. “Adolescent children, due to the monotony of work, refuse to take up studies personally. For them, vocational courses like computer classes, stitching, retail, BPO, and beauty courses are facilitated so they can excel in a particular skill and make a decent living,” shares Harish.
These vocational courses have helped build a career for the children. “As someone who has had a difficult childhood economically, these vocational training centres have helped me establish a career of my own, live a dignified life, and now help people like me,” Harish smiles.
The centres by Sahyog teach free-of-cost courses for rescued children and the underprivileged at Rs 50 per month. To date, 22 such centres are functioning in and around Delhi. “This eliminates them from being in a vulnerable position of going back to the dark chambers of the factory,” shares Shekhar.
“I used to work in a car manufacturing company, enduring gruelling 10-hour shifts with just a single lunch break,” recalls Dev, a former child labourer who was once trapped in bonded labour.
Today, at 18 years of age, Dev thrives as a data operator, earning a respectable monthly income of Rs 15,000. “The computer skills I acquired through the vocational training, which I did for one year, have not only improved my livelihood but also enabled me to support my family,” Dev shares. He hopes to earn a salary of Rs 1 lakh per month in the future.
Edited by Arunava Banerjee; All image courtesy- Sahyog Care For You
No comments:
Post a Comment