India Action Week is Bachpan Bachao Andolan’s initiative to mobilize action at the grassroots against child labour for rescue and release of the children involved in child labour/forced labour and for the prosecution of employers/ traffickers/agents/ touts. Action on the issue of child labour is expected in various other states culminating on 12th of June 2010, The World Day Against Child Labour.
10th June 2010
Today, on 10th June, the fifth day of India Action Week against Child Labour, 86 bonded child labourers were released from Khanpur locality in South Delhi. All the children, between 7 and 15 years in age, worked in Zari units. All the children belong to Bihar except one child who is from Nepal. This raid and rescue operation was led by Mr. Kailash Satyarthi, founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan and its Chairperson Mr. R.S. Chaurasia in which 13 Zari unit owners and 10 landlords have been arrested.
Today’s operation was conducted by South Delhi District Task Force on Raid, Rescue and Rehabilitation on complaints of BBA. It was a joint venture of Labour Department, District Task Force and BBA, led by S.D.M. Haus Khas. During the raid, some of these children were engaged in embroidery on saris, dupattas and lehangas while others were adding stones and gotas. This raid took place in 9 factories and 3 owners were arrested. All these children were brought to Delhi by touts or relatives in their or nearby villages from Araria, Darbhanga, East and West Champaran, Sitamarhi, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Nawad, Madhubani districts in Bihar. These touts assure the parents that the children in their care will get to study, but, they are forced to work without any wage being paid to them.
Mr. R.S.Chaurasia, Chairperson of BBA, said that they had been trying to rescue these child and bonded labourers for the last three decades, but, we are still working to root out this social menace. Politicians claim that Bihar is on the path of progress, but, seeing the flourishing child trafficking, it does not ring true.
Seeing the inhuman conditions these children were forced to work and live in, Mr. Kailash Satyarthi, Founder of BBA, became emotional and wondered aloud how could any one treat the children so badly. He declared that in the next 4 days, similar raids will be conducted in other states, beside Delhi.
S.D.M., Haus Khas, Mrs. Juhi Mukherjee said that the arrested owners, and also those who could not be arrested, will be prosecuted under Child Labour, Bonded Labour and Juvenile Justice Acts.
24 child labourers were rescued in Madhya Pradesh today; 15 in Jhabua, 5 in Mandsaur and 4 in Khandwa. All these child labourers were working hotels and dhabas. 208 children have been rescued from bonded labour during India Action Week Against Child Labour 2010 so far.
9th June 2010
India Action Week is Bachpan Bachao Andolan’s initiative to mobilize action at the grassroots against child labour for rescue and release of the children involved in child labour/forced labour and for the prosecution of employers/ traffickers/agents/ touts. Action on the issue of child labour is expected in various other states culminating on 12th of June 2010, The World Day Against Child Labour.
Today, on 9th June, 6-7 Zari, Lantern and Door Handle units in Zafrabad were raided by District Task Force on Raid, Rescue and Rehabilitation, North East district of Delhi, with inputs and active participation of BBA. The Task Force comprised of Mr. Vipin Garg, S.D.M, Area Seelampur, Mr. C. M. Gaur, Deputy Labour Commissioner and Mr. R.S. Chaurasia, Chairperson of BBA and his team.
Altogether, 52 child labourers trafficked from Nepal (3 children), Bihar (Katihar, Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi districts) and Uttar Pradesh (Moradabad district) were rescued from these dark and dingy units and after the legal procedures sent to Mukti Ashram, run by BBA, for counseling and rehabilitation till their release to their parents. Total 98 trafficked child labourers have been rescued till date in the ongoing India Action Week against child labour.
8th June 2010
On 8th June, 31 child labourers were rescued from duplicate shoes and slippers factories in Nangloi in Delhi making fake Nike and Reebok shoes. Mr. Rajpal Singh, S.D.M. Nangloi, Mr. Amardeep, Labour Officer and Mr. A.M Agarwal, Asstt. Labour Commissioner, North West district, participated in this raid and rescue operation besides Police and BBA representatives. These children were trafficked from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The youngest child is only 7 years old. Seven small teams conducted the raid simultaneously at seven different units of shoes and slippers making units.
On 8th June, 6 children were rescued from dhabas in Nalanda district of Bihar.
53 child labourers have been rescued so far.
7th June 2010
On 7th June, BBA activists in Rajasthan tried to release children from dhabhas (roadside eateries) in Pawta and Paragpura and were met with stiff resistance on the part of employers as well as the local law enforcement agencies. It was shocking to see that despite the fact child labour in hotels and eateries has been banned since 2006; the Police and other law enforcement agencies are neither aware nor willing to take action on this issue even after almost four years of the ban. Still 9 child labourers, trafficked from other part of Rajasthan and West Bengal, were rescued.
5th June 2010
India Action Week 2010 was launched with a raid in Sarai Rohilla Industrial Area on 5th June by District Task Force on Raid, Rescue and Rehabilitation, North district of Delhi on complaints filed by BBA. SDM, Mr. A.S. Bhardwaj and Deputy Labour Commissioner, Mr. K. P. Verma participated in this raid along with Mr. R. S. Chaurasia, Chairperson of BBA and Police Force. But, due to some delay on the part of other law enforcement agencies, the employers got wind of impending raid and moved the child labourers away from their premises.
Thus, only two trafficked child labourers from Bihar could be rescued. Thereafter, the team focused on the eateries/dhabas beside Sahibabagh Police Station from where five child labourers were rescued. So, 7 child labourers could be rescued on 5th June in Delhi.
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