‘The Stolen Childhoods': A Real Scenario of Child Labour in India

Abstract

India has the largest number of child labour in the world. According to the census figures of 1991, India has 11.29 million child labourers, which constitute 1.34 per cent of the total population of our country. In 2001, the age-group (0-14) years was 308 million and 2013 it was 19.36 million. Child labourers are engaged in various types of work like agriculture, livestock, forestry, manufacturing and households etc. Worldwide 60 percent of all child labourers in the age group 5-17 years’ work in agriculture, including farming, fishing, aquaculture, forestry, and livestock. This amounts to over 129 million girls and boys. Poverty is undoubtedly a dominant factor. Children born in poor families are forced to work not only for their own survival but also for their family. Obliviousness of the people and Government also compels poor parents to make their children employed as laborers in agricultural forms, factories, brick kilns and as domestic servants. In the urban areas, children work in dhabas, as eateries helpers, utensil washers or cleaners in trucks and as domestic servants etc. Though, children are not well paid, they still serve as major contributors to family income. Therefore, mere legislation cannot do any good to our children and cannot prevent them from becoming children labour. This review article is just an attempt to study the magnitude and distribution of child labour in India based on various reports published by government as well as non-governmental reports.