New Delhi, Aug 12: Six children have been rescued from Burari area on the outskirts of National Capital by city police and labour department on a complaint filed by Bachpan Bachao Andolan. All the children, aged between 12 yrs and 18 yrs, were rescued from two sweet shops and two food vendors in the area.

When rescued, the children were scantily dressed. They told the rescuers that they were paid a meager amount of Rs 40 - Rs 50 per week and minimal food to eat.

While two of them 13-year-old Sugrel and Kuldeep, 18, hail from Siddhartha Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Sonu and Chotu, both 15, are from Saharanpur in UP and Kathihar in Bihar respectively.  Ranbir (17) hails from Madhepura in Bihar. 12-year-old Faizullah, youngest of all, comes from a village named Ajgari. He was, however, unable to recall his district or state. (Names of all the children have been changed to protect identity.)

All of them were brought to the city on the pretext of providing a job and a life, better than what in which they were living in their home towns.

Faizullah said, “I was enrolled in my school in Bihar. Chacha (uncle) told my parents that I will be enrolled in school for better education. Once here, I was forced to work at this road side dhaba (eatery). I was working for more than 16 hours a day without any salary.  I am not good in cooking but still I was forced to work, I have bruised my fingers and burnt my hand while cooking and cutting vegetables. I want to go back home and join my school.”

The District task force included Ashok Gupta, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Civil Lines, Labour Deputy Commissioner, Madan Lal and Labour Inspector Kaushik Kumar, along with BBA activists also arrested three of the employers - Dayaram, Lakshmi Rawat and Ramesh Chauhan. One of the vendors could not be arrested as he managed to escape.

A case under the Child Labour Act, Juvenile Justice Act and Bonded Labour Act would be registered against all the employers.

BBA Chairperson, Mr. R.C. Chaurasia said, “In 2006, Child Labour Regulation and Prohibition Act 1986 was amended which brought child labour in roadside eateries also in the arena of hazardous occupation. Still, children as young as 12 years are seen working in the roadside eateries. We are planning to strengthen our efforts across the country to liberate children from the shackles of barbaric employees.”