In a rather grim reflection of the state of child labour in Gujarat, 12 child labourers, most of whom belong to Rajasthan tribal communities, have been rescued from the campus of a high profile private university in Rajkot by a team of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Labour Department, Centre for Labour Research and Action, and the Police.
Children pushed into child labour in different kinds of eateries and factories is a norm, but the fact that these children were rescued from a university campus has left everyone shocked, said a BBA release. BBA was founded by Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi,and has been liberating children from child labour since 1980.
The rescued children are in the age group of 13-17 years and were employed in the kitchens of the university and were made to work for 15 to 18 hours every day, claimed BBA.
The NGO got a tip on its complaint cell about these child labourers working on the campus of the RK University. The BBA team kept in constant touch with the informer who verified the details through photos and videos. Once established, the rescue operation was conducted.
Post-rescue, children alleged that besides being made to work for long hours, they were subjected to physical and mental abuse
Post-rescue, the children alleged that besides being made to work for such long hours, they were also subjected to physical and mental abuse by their managers. To add to their woes, most of them were not even paid a single penny while a few others were paid paltry sum in the name of wages.
“How ironic that the children who should have been students in schools and colleges are instead trafficked and made to work in a university campus. The fact that the temple of education where seeds of knowledge and humanity are sown is soaked with the sweat of child labourers is a grave issue. This reflects how deep-seated and immensely alarming is the plight of such children,” Manish Sharma, director, BBA, said.
Currently, the BBA team is facilitating the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) under relevant sections in the Aji Dam Police Station in Rajkot city. The children will be sent to the Child Care Institution (CCI) after being produced in front of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) for immediate care and protection.
Currently, the BBA team is facilitating the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) under relevant sections in the Aji Dam Police Station in Rajkot city. The children will be sent to the Child Care Institution (CCI) after being produced in front of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) for immediate care and protection.
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