ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

March against child labour gets poor response from Centre

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji

Indians feel proud to lead the historic global march against child labour, but not the government. On the contrary, the bureaucracy is creating technical hurdles for the marchers.

"There is no difference between the United Front and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government, who has paid mere lip service to the issue in its national agenda," alleges Kailash Satyarthi, the international co-ordinator of the march, which was started simultaneously from South America and Africa. It will merge in Geneva in the first week of June at the International Labour Organisation convention on child labour, after visiting 99 countries.

Though he is satisfied with the co-operation he is getting from state governments, Satyarthi blames the Centre for not being enthusiastic about the project.

"Presidents and prime ministers of countries like Brazil, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia and Nepal have personally greeted the marchers, unlike the Indian government," he states.

The eight Indian marchers had to seek passports through court intervention, as they were made to run from pillar to post.

"I am not complaining only because of such bureaucratic hurdles. But the authorities don't come forward to interact on the issue at all," Satyarthi points out. He feels the Indian government fears the march would project an ugly image of the country all over the world.

India has some 60 million child labourers -- the largest number in the world -- in the organised as well as unorganised sector. Around 70 per cent of it is in the agricultural sector. The rest is employed in the unorganised sector.

Satyarthi, however, refutes the allegation that his movement in India, through the South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude, targets only the export-oriented industries -- like carpet, diamond cutting etc -- to facilitate market for Western industries.

"It is hardly five to six per cent. We oppose all forms of child labour," he says.

The Asian march, which began in Manila on January 17, is presently touring India. The marchers entered India on March 5 through Bihar. It will cover 13 states, including Calcutta, Bombay, Madras and Delhi. It passed through Goa on March 28.

The marchers include around 80 child labourers from various countries, besides over 100 social activists, who have been marching through the streets the world over, demanding education for all, and firm steps to eradicate child labour.

The child marchers are receiving overwhelming response all over, except in Indonesia, where they were arrested, and Malaysia, where they had trouble entering the country.

Tell us what you think of this report