Freeing Girl Children from Labour : "Freeing the Girl Child Labour Year"

On two previous occasions CACL brought together thousands of child labour from all the corners of India for Public Hearings and Conventions to highlight the plight of children who have to toil for a living. The first was held in Chenai in 1994 and the second in Delhi in 1997. Both these Conventions were instrumental, not only in creating public awareness but also sent clear signals to the bureaucrats that there is a growing momentum of awareness and action among social activists, trade unions, educationists and others, on the issue of child labour.

It was against this backdrop that the third convention was held in Mysore in March 2003. As a response to the demand made by these children to give them back their freedom and an opportunity to go to school, the CACL decided to support the same cause in the coming years by initiating a sub campaign to focus on the girl child labour and make all efforts to free the girl child labour. This would be in the form of a sub campaign within the larger "Campaign against child labour" 

To give a direction to the sub campaign,a two days National workshop on girl child labour was conducted at Bhubaneswar ,Orissa on 30th and 31st August2003.The workshop came up with a novel strategy with intervention at various levels in the society..

SO FAR….

· 2004 -2006 declared as Freeing the Girl Child Labour Year"
· 1045 villages have been identified to be decalred as girl child labour free
· Focused Campaign on 300 villages
· 60 villages in Karnataka already declared girl child labour free and 1720 girl child labour admitted into schools
· 1000 girl child labour in Orissa admitted into schools.
· 292 child right facilitators have been trained to work at the grass root level

Campaign for Right to Education

The report of the Kothari Commission emphasized the need for an educational revolution : “ It is only the right type of education, provide on adequate scale , that can lead to national development. In fact, what is needed is a revolution in education which in turn will set in motion the much desired social , economic and Cultural Revolution .”

CACL also believes that the fundamental right to quality and equitable education for all children upto 18 years age can be pre- requisite for eradication of child labour.

CACL had initiated a national level discussion on the Bill  and a vigorous lobbying for positive changes among the parliamentarians and a signature campaign was also initiated.

A national consultation was held at Hyderabad on 10th January 2004 by MV foundation in which CACL , National Convenor participated and presented the views of CACL. The follow up of this consultation was organized at Bhubaneswar, Orissa by CACL on 10th April, 2004. A National Consultation on Free and Compulsory Education ( Draft) Bill was recently organized at Delhi where academicians, legal professionals, activists and Research Groups participated and focused on the modifications on the Draft Bill.         

National Consultation on Right to Education at Delhi

A  consultation on the draft “The Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2004” was organized by CACL-Central Secretariat at Indian Social Institute, New Delhi on July 16, 2004. Representatives from NGOs, national networks, coalitions, women groups and Supreme Court Lawyers, academicians , social and human right activists etc. participated in the consultation and gave their suggestions on the stand of CACL.

Networks like NAFRE, SACCS,BGVJ and some notable personalities like Sri Anil Sadgopal, Professor in Education, Delhi University, Sri Ashok Agarwal, Advocate , Delhi High Court, Sri Suryakanta Kulkarni, educationist, Dr. Santha Sinha, M.V.Foundation along with CACL Central Secretariat and State Units of CACL participated in the Consultation.

It was unanimously decided that at different level steps shall be taken to lobby with Political parties and M.Ps. Further steps shall be taken at District/Constitution level to organize public functions  and local MP/s shall be asked to give their commitments in these public functions. Then a delegation  shall meet Prime Minister  to hand over the memorandum as well as the commitments signed by MPs. All the participating Networks /Groups /organizations shall take forward this campaign at their level also. CACL shall prepare the papers /Kits which shall be signed by MPs during mobilization.

Further it was unanimously resolved to demand review of the draft bill-2004,& Govt.must open it  for public debate before tabling it in the Parliament .

THE NON-NEGOTIABLES

1. Government should guarantee that the objective of education should be to take forward the values behind the constitution towards a society, which is based on secular, egalitarian and scientific values.

2. The bill should provide for a minimum of ten years/up to class 10th of equitable education through a common school system;

3. The bill should take necessary steps to ensure that discrimination against dalits, tribals, minorities, disadvantaged children with special focus on disable children & girl child, should be eliminated.

4. The ongoing process of privatization of school education should be stopped

5. The role of Panchayati Raj institutions and municipal bodies in the management of school education as provided by the 73^rd and 74^th Amendment of the Constitution should not be diluted.

6. The bill should recognize the role of state governments and provide adequate financial and administrative powers to fulfill the objectives.

7. The education bill must aim at total eradication of child labour by ensuring access of all children to full time formal school.

8. The onus of sending children to school should not lie with the parents but there should be some specific recommendations making the state accountable.  

A. Victim of Child Sex Abuse:

Institutional child sex abuse of children was found at Melkote village of Mandya district of Karnataka. When Media covered this issue, CACL-Karnataka constituted a fact-finding Team to report on the case. The fact-finding report revealed that there is a person called Janardan, a magician by profession, had got 10 children from Jammu and Kashmir state and used to demonstrate them as orphans during his magic shows with a message to the public that their parents are killed during Kargil War. Not only he collected a hefty amount of money this way, but also he used to abuse them sexually and put them into hard labour.

After the fact-finding report, the CACL-Karnataka made a team and approached the Director, Women Child Welfare and Director-General of Police. They jointly visited the spot and urged the District Commissioner to close the illegal orphanage. Mr. Jarnadan was also arrested and put behind bars.

B. Child Labour got handicapped:

Recently, A boy named javed about 14 year old lost his fingers while working in a small workshop at Bangalore. CACL Karnataka Team had made the fact finding of the case and intervened with the Labour Commissioner to take appropriate action.

C. Girl from Hyderabad rescued from Orissa

A girl named Jyoti reading in std. IV , was taken by one  Mr. B.K.Lenka  serving with Air Force at Hyderabad  with assurance to the parents of the girl that she will be studying and working in his house, finally found missing . Getting information from M.V Foundation, Hyderabad, the CS team along with Orissa team rushed to the original village of Mr. Lenka with the help of local police station and the girl was rescued within 24 hrs. Mr. Lenka took the girl and handed over to the parents.