The Indian government has decided to ban children under 14 from working as domestic servants or in roadside stalls from October.
…but is it going to help???
It also bans children from teashops, restaurants, hotels, motels, resorts, spas or other recreational centres.
There are estimated to be more than 12.6 million child workers in India, many of whom work as domestic helps or in small roadside restaurants.
India has already laws in place to protect children from working in hazardous places – but they definitely don’t help as lots of kids still work at Sivakasi and other fireworks factories.
It is good that the government is paying attention to the problem of child labor but are laws the solution? What makes the government think that the laws will work this time? Shouldn’t they try to enforce the laws that are already in place more strictly
I don’t think any parent would want their kid to have a hard life and work – but for many parents this is their source of income. Shouldn’t the government address the underlying issue?
I couldn’t find out how strict the penalties are
Mr Srivastava said that anyone found violating the ban would be penalised under the Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act of 1986. Punishment range from a fine to imprisonment
…but am sure they are not high enough for people to totally stop using this cheap source of labor.
Also posted at Mutiny
Hindu Mommy 
You are right. This is a cosmetic step. Unless an alternative is found, how will they earn? Its like banning drinking in Gujarat- maximum bootlegging deaths happen in Baroda. Good intentions but should have practical connotation.
Comment by Hiren — August 6, 2006 @ 9:05 am |
[…] While I commend the government’s intentions with both this law and the law to prevent child labor, I wonder about how the government is going to make it work?. Does the government have the necessary power and will to implement and maintain these laws ? Or is this just lip-service to be made effective and then forgotten or wilfully disobeyed like most other laws in India? […]
Pingback by “No more domestic abuse” - Indian government « Hindu Mommy — October 25, 2006 @ 11:11 pm |
[…] While I commend the government’s intentions with both this law and the law to prevent child labor, I wonder about how the government is going to make it work?. Does the government have the necessary power and will to implement and maintain these laws ? Or is this just lip-service to be made effective and then forgotten or wilfully disobeyed like most other laws in India? […]
Pingback by No more domestic abuse says the Indian government « The Great Indian Mutiny — October 26, 2006 @ 1:19 pm |