Author: Sidharth Mishra / Rajesh Kumar
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: November 24, 2005
This could well be described as the fate of
children rescued from a cage and incarcerated in a pigeonhole.
The 477 children who were rescued during raids
conducted on Monday last amid much publicity by foreign-funded NGO Pratham
are now faced with an even more uncertain future. No one knows what to do
with them. As a matter of fact, investigations by The Pioneer revealed that
rather than concern for the rehabilitation of the children, utilisation of
funds under a UN-funded scheme prompted the raids.
Since their rescue, the children have been
parked at a Raen Basera, a night shelter for beggars at August Kranti Bhawan
at Bhikaji Cama Place. From the close confines of the zari-embroidery factories
of Shahadra and Ghonda in trans-Yamuna, the 477 children have been packed
into three rooms, each measuring not more than 30'x 20'.
Neither the Government, nor the NGO, which
carried-out the operation has an answer about their future. Joint Labour Commissioner
Piyush Sharma, when confronted, said, "They would be rehabilitated under
education for all programme of the Central Government and the district magistrates
of their home districts would be made responsible." This would mean sending
the children back to the same homes they had fled to escape hunger and disease.
When asked about the next step on the children's
future, an NGO functionary said, "We are in contact with the Child Welfare
Committee of Bihar Government for their rehabilitation."
When he was told that most government committees
in Bihar were in a dilapidated state, Junaid Khan, a coordinator with the
NGO, said they have a report of their (Bihar Government's) good governance.
Asked for a copy of the report, he evaded an answer, saying they had left
it behind at their head office in Mumbai. However, he did not forget to add
that a probing media unnecessarily created doubts about their 'noble efforts'.
Investigations by The Pioneer revealed that
the raids were carried out to facilitate utilisation of funds received by
the Labour Department from the International Labour Organisation, a UN body,
for carrying out programmes to eradicate child labour. Sources in the Delhi
Government said that such raids are planned with a lot of media hype and positive
media reports are submitted to ILO to embellish the application for the release
of more funds. In the case of the Shahadra raids too, a pre-event briefing
was organised where mediapersons were invited to join the operations. Extensive
Press notes followed the raids.
The NGO by its own admission has so far already
raised a bill of over Rs two lakh for getting the children released and providing
them two meals for two days. It is another matter that the children are being
served watery-daal, and leathery chapattis. The kids have also been denied
all access to the public, including media persons.
'Incidentally, there is no provision for rehabilitation
of children rescued under the Child Labour Act. The NGO's and the Delhi Government's
claim that they would help rehabilitate children is hogwash,' said a Delhi
Government official stating that the Labour Department has coordinated (a
politically correct usage for contract) with the NGO only to the extent of
rescuing and deporting these children from Delhi.
Interestingly, the Labour Department has not
registered a case against any factory owner till date. The raids were conducted
on Monday.Joint Labour Commissioner Piyush Sharma, however, denied that the
entire exercise was done to show the expenditure of fund received by the government.
On the role of NGO, he said, "They were involved because they had provided
information on the child labour."
