36 children rescued in Udaipur after campaign against child labour

36 Children Rescued in Udaipur after Campaign against Child Labour

A month-long campaign against child labour in Rajasthan’s Udaipur district has led to the rescue of 36 children, and the registration of 16 criminal cases against those responsible for forcing them into work. The intensive campaign witnessed the participation of multiple agencies for the first time, which resulted in a coordinated action to stop child labour.

The campaign was undertaken after the administration went into mission mode to address the issues in the most backward blocks of Udaipur. It began efforts to reduce the student dropout rate, establish primary health centres, implement labour welfare, identify malnourished children, and strengthen anganwadi centres, where children are enrolled for pre-primary education.

Campaign convener Shailendra Pandya told The Hindu that a “comprehensive strategy” would be formulated for the rehabilitation of the child labourers rescued from small factories, hotels, kiosks, and shops. Mr. Pandya, who is a former member of the Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, added that Udaipur would soon emerge as a model district on the issue of child rights.

Kids in Bt Cotton Fields

After the drive ended last week, the campaign issued certificates to those shops and commercial establishments where no child labourers were found, identifying them as “child labour-free” places. Action was initiated under the Juvenile Justice Act at places where children were found working.

Mr. Pandya said that the next phase of the campaign would involve action in Udaipur district’s Jhadol, Kotda, and Gogunda blocks, where children were reportedly being forced to work in agricultural fields on the pretext of contract farming. “The sudden expansion of Bt cotton crops in these rural pockets suggests that children are being employed for artificial pollination, as their plants are smaller than normal cotton,” he said.

The trend of rural families sending their children to work in Bt cotton fields in neighboring Gujarat has ended, with the State government’s effective intervention and strong action taken against contractors. Mr. Pandya said that most of the children rescued in the city hailed from the district’s villages, indicating that livelihood opportunities had not been completely restored after the pandemic.

Post-Rescue Rehabilitation

Child Empowerment Department assistant director Meena Sharma, the nodal officer for the campaign, said that rescued child labourers were produced before the Child Welfare Committee before sending them to shelter homes. The District Child Protection Unit will formulate an action plan to ensure that the children are not sent back to work.

Child welfare officers from police stations, the anti-human trafficking unit, Gayatri Seva Sansthan, Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation, and Access to Justice played an instrumental role in identifying the child labourers and rescuing them. These agencies then joined the police force in making surprise raids and setting the children free.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 4: Quality Education

The article mentions efforts to reduce the student dropout rate and strengthen anganwadi centers, which are pre-primary education centers. These actions align with SDG 4, which aims to ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality education.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The article discusses the rescue of child laborers and the registration of criminal cases against those responsible for forcing them into work. This relates to SDG 8, which aims to eradicate forced labor, end child labor, and promote decent work for all.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The article mentions the trend of rural families sending their children to work in Bt cotton fields, indicating a potential inequality in access to livelihood opportunities. SDG 10 aims to reduce inequalities within and among countries, including addressing issues related to migration and mobility.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The article highlights the role of various agencies in identifying and rescuing child laborers, indicating efforts to end abuse and exploitation of children. SDG 16 focuses on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice, and building effective institutions.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.

Efforts to reduce the student dropout rate and strengthen anganwadi centers align with this target, as they aim to improve access to quality education for all children.

Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labor in all its forms.

The rescue of child laborers and the registration of criminal cases against those responsible for forcing them into work contribute to this target, as they aim to eliminate child labor and ensure decent work for all.

Target 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.

The mention of rural families sending their children to work in Bt cotton fields suggests a potential issue related to migration and mobility. This target aims to address such issues and ensure safe and responsible migration.

Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children.

The article highlights the role of various agencies in identifying and rescuing child laborers, indicating efforts to end abuse and exploitation of children. This target aims to eliminate all forms of violence against children.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not explicitly mention any indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. However, potential indicators could include the number of child laborers rescued, the number of criminal cases registered against those responsible for child labor, the student dropout rate, and the improvement in access to quality education.

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Source: thehindu.com

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