VADODARA, April 29: April 30 may be celebrated the world over as international child labour day, but to shoe-shine boys Sinu, Chintoo and four crores of working child-labourers, it is just another day of drudgery.While their ignorance of their fundamental rights may be excused, it was the Gujarat High Court that had to indict the State government for ineffective implementation of the Child Labour (Prevention and Regulation) Act, 1986. Chief Justice K Sreedharan and Justice A R Dave directed the State government to carry out its duties effectively so that children may gain the ``heaven of freedom by the turn of the century.''Censuring the officer who attested the number of child labourers in the State at 1,500, the court observed that it was ``only an apology of the survey'' contemplated by the apex court.The Campaign Against Child Labour, spearheading the movement for abolition of child labour, highlighted the employment of children in road construction and other hazardous industries in a petition, seeking a labour commissionerate inquiry into the situation and effective uplift measures.Only four units of the 37 found to employ child labour in the survey last year have been prosecuted so far. JCT, an electronics company, was penalised Rs 10,000 for employing one child, while Five Star Jari Works, Girdhar Farsan Mart and Laxmi Sweets and Farsan were each fined Rs 450 each for employing one child.Deputy Labour Commissioner A C Rawal says that anamolies in law and classification of industries on the basis of size were the major hurdles in the implementation of the Child Labour Act. A large number of children were employed in agriculture, larries etc, which did not come under the purview of the Act, he points out.Multiple implementing authorities further aggravate the problem. Five cases have been registered under the Shops and Establishment Act (under the municipal corporation), 15 under the Child Labour Act (under the labour Commissionerate), while two cases under the Motor Transport Act.The recent court judgement has given credence to the CACL's debunking of the survey. Says S Srinivasan, state co-ordinator of CACL, ``Child labour is increasing with increasing displacement and adult unemployment.''Globalisation of the economy has nothing to offer these children but further shackles. Only if the government makes the right to education mandatory and provides employment for the adults will these children lead a better life.
