Did you know that it is a crime to exploit children in India? Talk about a corrupt government in India, the country couldn’t manage to enforce the consequences of those who violate the law, and/or does the crime themselves. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh is the rural development minister in the United Progressive Alliance government; he was investigated when a television channel tuned in videos of two children working in his farmland pulling ploughs. This minister made the children do the labor because oxen and tractors cannot handle the waterlogged fields. So can you imagine ploughs being pulled by children? That is a crime. Ploughs are intended for wild ox to pull them. One of the two children said, “My hands and feet ache all the time, but I cannot leave this work. I need to work for food. “ (Vinod, 2007). It is harder as the children in rural areas are often unnoticed, but it is not uncommon to find very young children clean in restaurants miles away from hi-tech. The government has been banning child labor, thus it is a hard truth that there are still child slaves. They continue to serve even as technology grows upon them. Temples in south India no longer appear as a place to worship, but a place for children to beg. Children, who work at small teashops, a fast-food outlet, or site of construction, are often underpaid. They suffer being overworked and abused to earn money for family. Children are considered an important source of family income. What kind of minister is he who enslaves children and justifies the laws? As Vinod addressed that most public officials and politicians in India have a history of breaking rules and regulations apart from being morally corrupt. The laws were formed last year to ban on child labor, it was strengthened and included restaurants, but no practice of these laws were witnessed. Vinod’s research attested many of these outlets still employ children in large numbers. It is fortunate that there was a recent demand to have him resign, but when he was found guilty he most definitely should pay the price!
http://www.stolenchildhood.net/entry/india-union-minister-raghuvansh-prasad-singhs-child-slaves/
Parents of the family should be the ones who are financially responsible. Children do not have the rights to be forced into labor. It is not fair to the children working at teashops or a fast food to be underpaid. Children should have the rights to work, not be forced to work.
ReplyDeleteWe will never know how many countries have corrupted government and the laws their officials have broken. This is a great example that government officials break the law even though they are representing their own country. I hope all the corrupted government will be stopped. This definitely will reduce all the issues because the "honest" officials will do something about it!
ReplyDeleteThis is really sick, it isn't fair that higher level people take advantage of young children like them. All they want is to have food so that they can survive. The government is taking advantage of them and it needs to stop. I hope that one day, it will actually stop and make them realize how much they are doing.
ReplyDeleteThat is really terrible. I wish I want all children to focus and eat the foods because hunger is not good. Working too much is not healthy for them. The children can work for a few hours like 4 or 5 hours a day. I prefer the child labor to be removed so the children's parents are responsible to go to work and earn money to support their children. The children are too young to work a job. It is risky for them to work too early while they are young. I think maybe it is a good idea for the government to give the specific ages that the children can permit to work. If the children are young and go to work, sometimes they can't handle with their hard jobs because some jobs are dangerous. The specific ages that the children can allow to work that will help them handle with their hard jobs.
ReplyDeleteIt is truly sad about the Indian government. However, at least it is officially a crime to use children in India rather than it being allowed. Most countries do not manage to follow the laws, there are always ways around it. Loopholes are not a funny thing. It is horrible that a minister was one of those people who use children. They are supposed to be the most holy and the most trusted people. I cannot imagine children being able to handle the work made for an ox and for tractors. How can their frail and tiny little bodies handle it? The quote about the child’s hands and feet aching all the time really hit my heart. It is depressing that they want to leave but they just cannot. They are trapped in a lifetime of labor. They will be trapped in a lifetime of labor unless their families manage to get out of the cycle of poverty that they have been stuck in for all of these years. Children should never be considered as a source of income. They should not have they burden to carry.
ReplyDelete"the country couldn’t manage to enforce the consequences of those who violate the law, and/or does the crime themselves" (Herbold, 2009). Ugh, that is sick. Well, everybody else who did post comment for this blog said it all. I can't imagine seeing children injuried with their hands and feet from working hard. It is like they are stuck with working for good, until their families are able to budget better and not in poverty then the child will not work again. It is NOT fair. I agree with Celine, "Children should never be considered as a source of income" (Daze, 2009), period!
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