STREET CHILDREN
Item
- Title
- STREET CHILDREN
- extracted text
-
SDA_RF_CH_8_SUDHA
CHILD WORKERS IN ASIA
'•Mi?■•’■■■;••———-i
S
C'O PEACE TRUSr.Post Box No, 4 Oil. Police Colony, Trichy Road,
Dmdigul - 624 009. Tarpilnadu, INDIA flel/Fax : 0451 - 5021 • 1
6-9-93
Workshop on "Advocacy & Soc Lal Hob i 1 isat ion l
Confirmed participation:
Dear friend,
Greetings.
We
are
pleased to receive your nomination
for
the
above
workshop
to
be held at Madurai from September
20-25,
1993.
We
confirm
your
participation. Please arrive at the
Youth
Hostel,
Race course road (near court complejj) in Madurai by 20th
forenoon
wi thout
fail.
To
enable
the workshop
interesting
the
educative,
we
would
request you to:
*
bring
along resour<. e mulei ialu that you uuiiltl
prenwnl
your
experience
while
organising
working
children
(e.g.
educational
campaign
materials, innovative
interventions
among
ch i1dren)
*
The participants will have an exclusive session on 23rd
to
present
their experiences.
To participate in this session
on
arrival
please contact the Programme
coordinating
team,
and
submit
your
idea to them in writing (e.g., briefly
provide
the
sketch of your presentation). This team will decide — depending on
the number of entries - time and venue for your presentation.
For
the "Public Action Day" - please bring
along
posters
etc
that
you have (in your
state
language).
important to make that day meaningful.
banners,
This
is
Please present this lettert of confirmation of participation
at the Workshop Secretariate Desk (on arrival at the Youth Hostel)
for purposes of registration.
This particioation confirmation
is
transferable to any other member of your organisation.
We
forenoon.
look
forward
to seeing
you at Madurai
on 20th
September
COMMUNITY
HEALTH
No, 367 'Srinivasa Nilaya'
Jakkasandra, I Main
I Block, Koramangala
Bangalore-560 034
Phone : 531518
CELL
Ref. No. CHC :
Dear
Greetings from Community Health Cell
!
The two day workshop on Street Children which we conducted on the 6th and
7th July 1993 was the result of a request from REDS (Ragpickers Education
and Development Society)
for 'health input' to rag pickers of their
programmes.
I felt the need to equip myself with some communication
techniques and
teaching methodology,
resource persons were identified accordingly to
teach.
A
suggestion
from
Mrs.Indira
Swaminathan,
educational
psychologist who was one of the resource persons to include others who
are involved with street children in learning some skills along with me,
further led me to organize such a workshc^.
A visit was made to the following agencies whose addresses were available
with CWC to seek their suggestions and expectations for/from the
workshop.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
REDS (Rag Pickers Education and Development Society).
Bosco Yuvodhaya.
YMCA (Young Men Christian Association)
MAYA (Movement for Alternatives and Youth Awareness).
CWC (Concern for Working Children).
The aim of this workshop was to analyse the causes that force a child to
become homeless and to provide some knowldege and skills in tackling
their problems.
Since most of the participants have expressed the need to have regular
follow-up programmes,
it was decided that once a month,
half a day
programme will
be organised and the focus will
be on a particular
issue/problem. Resource persons will be idenfitied and invited according
to the need.
The follow up meetings will be hosted by turns in each one
of the interested agencies working with street children regularly.
We are enclosing a copy of the workshop report for further details.
Your
comments, suggestions, ideas and your participation in strengthening
the
informal networking is highly appreciated. We look
forward
to your
teams' ideas about this aspect as well.
With best wishes and regards.
Yours Sincerely,
S.J.CHANDER
Encl: A copy of the report of the workshop and list of participants and
------------- fehc-ir addresses-:---------------■---------—- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------'Society for Community Health Awareness, Research and Action'
Registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act 17 of 1960, S. No. 44/91-92
Regd. Office: No. 326, V Main I Block, Koramangala, Bangalore ■ 560 034
CIA «•!
■
/fy/h'
^Vbtccyj a.<J'(
(&,
/?<zj fLCcZcj^
^.A_dC
i^aA-
c/-
£-f
£
y^..a<y^^<^y.....'
:
y
yy^y^^y_yS.
T--------------------
£ - i/L ■ Sin^n. •
ictr^Ai r,
;
])C-\r^lc^xr>^yih
V-
SVcaa/
Uv’^...^e
l~> a-ta^zi h'^ ~ sfic Ooi i
/1//wZ?vwO
r
i
.., _..
■
C- W ' C •
'■.
C/^e
^VrAbtvVc-^
pJ.—----zy/^^'VV>T/*<
Peace
8-10--93
Dear Sir/Madam,
Greetings.
We are happy to send you the participant list
of
Advocacy
and Social Mobilisation
workshop
at
Madurai between 20-25th September 1993.
Thank
you
"for
your
participation
in
the
workshop and the Public Action Day.
Hope you could
take up Advocacy as a part of your work.
We
would
be happy if you could let us know how you are going
to
use the Advocacy methods in your activities
to
eliminate child labour.
Public Action Day
Regards.
Yours sincerely
J . PAUL.BASKAR
□n behalf\of Organising
Team
Off
Police
Colony,
Trichy ,
Road,
D1NDIGUL
624
009
TAMIL
NADU
INDIA
Grams ■
Peace
Phone :
91-451-5021
Fax
91-451-5282
CHILD WORKERS
South
IN ASIA
India Workshop on Advocacy and Soo i a1 Mob i1isat ion,
September 20-25, 1993
Name
Madurai
Organ isat ion/Address
Tel/Fax No
Nature of
Visit
Participant
1.
S.
Manmatha Devi
Child Relief & You
46, Poes Road,
Tenampet, Madras-18
451548
2.
G.
Shantha
DAWN, 48,Dharkar st
Virudhunagar 626 001
5303
•
A.
Aruldoss
Bosco Institute of
Social Work,
Tiruppattur 635 601
4.
K.
C.
Anan th
Selvakumar
MNEC,, 34-A Meyyappan
II st, Madurai-16
34185
■■
5.
S.J.
Chander
Community Health Cell
326, Vth Main I Block
Koramangali, Blore-34
531518
••
6.
S.
7.
Muniyammal
K. Ponnusamy
8.
G.
K.
Mahalakshmi
Naien
CSED, Muthuchettipalayam
33V2, Vailuvar .street
Avinashi 638 654
9.
S.
Gnanaseelan
GUARDIAN, 2/92 Pudunagar
(Pol Thirumangalam 626709
10.
D.
Deva Anbu
Action for Child labour
3A,! CGE colony, Madras-41
11 .
Vinod Furtado
1,2.
D.
C.
13.
M.
•
Shunmugakani
i
20788 '
PRESS Trust
Shanmuga Sigamani nagar
Kovilpatti 627 701
PAPER, R.S. Va'iyampatti
Trichy Dist-621 315
11
PRERANA 1-5-139 Himagiri
complex T.B. Road, Raichur
584101, Andhra Pradesh
5125
11
Ganesan
Amalraj
RECD, Chatrapatty\
Sattur 626 203
884
>■
Antony Durairaj
TSSS,
Palayamkottai
627 002
72082
;?es
George
Pollachi
Caroline Wesley
The concerned for Working
Sreelatha Yegnweswar Children, 26/1 Vanthappa
Gardens, HAC II State
Deopanahal1i, Bangalore
16
Arasappan
Basco Antony
18.
572111/575258
30, Arunodhaya Arathoon
Salai, Madras-13
552557
Mythiri Serva Sava Samithi
94, Farm House 3rd Main st
7th cross Domlus Layout, Blore
561647
HOPE,
E—29 R.M.Colony,
Dindigul
RECO, 44, Chola Real Estate
Thrukokarnam Post, Pudukkotai'
Muthukumar
CRESENT,
P.O.Box 89,Pudukkottai
Santhi Nilayam, 9A Chairman
Amirtharaj st, East Shanmugapuram, Vilupuram 605602
S
Syed Mohideen
Society for Rural Service
Kuddiyatham road
Palamner Po
Chitoor 517408
!409
Victor Sahayaraj
REDS, 62A Sacr'ed Heart churi
compound, Bangalore 560 025
569209
LEAD, 8, I street, Sri rama
puram, Royar thoppu,Srirangam
62521
Nandakumar
25
Savarimuthu
PEACE Trust,
Trichy road,
Ramakrishnan
John Lawrance
POWER Society,
Asupathy raja
PEACE Trust
Babu
POLE
M.
26
28
R
D
Near Police colony
Dindigul—624 009
Periyar nagar Puthur
10
!9
Lakshm:
Kalpatty 605202
Plot No:5:
PARD
Madurai
55489
M.
C.
Lourdusamy
Pushpanathan
Dr.Ambedkar Service Society
□ ttump attu, S.Arcot 604 205
32.
K.
Raj end ran
CENTREDA,
33.
C. Selvin Theophlcus GKN, Malligai cross st
S. Jahsuva
Thendral nagar, Gomathipuram
C. Jeyabalan
Melamadai, Madurai
K. Raman
30.
R.
Padma mani
Nilakkottai
Progress Trust, 41 North Veli
st, III Floor, Madurai-1
35.
M.S.
Murugan
IRDT, 5D-1,Sudamani
Dharmapuri 636 701
36.
E.H.
Khanmajles
Under Previlage Children's
Education Programm, Plot 2&3
Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh
8010147801015
37.
Bindu Abraham
K. Kavitha
YUVA, 53/2 Narepark Municipal
School, Opp.to Narepark garden
Panel, Bombay
4143498,F:3889811
38.
Madhavi
UNICEF, 20,
Madras 18
450332/453437
39.
L. C.
Symon
ICCW, CLAP 182, North car st
Srivi11iputhur 626 125
40.
S.R. Bharathadevi
S. Logaguru
Women's wing, T.N.Consumer
Protection Counci 1,’ Madurai
41.
Mrs.
PREETHI 28,
Madurai-10
Ashok
Karikalan
st
Chitaranjan
82/208
road
West Ponnagaram
42.
P.
Ganapathi
20G, ;Kasthuri Nagar,
43.
A.
Perianayaga samy
Jeeva .Jothi, 2/88 South st
Poralur Post, Kai1imandayam
624 616 Anna Dist
24172
Melur
44.
S.
Che 11apandian
Chetana Vikas,
45.
K.
Aloyius Peter
Centre Radar, Arulanandar
College, Karumathur
(871)208
46.
K.
Pushpa
Equations, 168, Sth Main
Near Indiranagar club, Blore
582313
47.
G.
Vi jaya Kumar
Peoples Action for Creative
Jagadev Poor, Medak, A.P
Madurai
44791
48.
R.
49.
B.M.
Karthik
Kutty
50.
Bijaya Sainju
51.
Rosaline
52.
\
Binu Thomas
53.
T.
Y.
^^4.
Costa
Anbukarasi
Sakila Banu
Asha Krishnakumar
RATS Trust, 270-C Railway
colony, Madurai-1
Pakistan
Institute
Child Workers
of
Labour
in Nepal
270336
Commission for Justice & Peace
Box 5, Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh
417936
F.834993
Action Aid,
Bangalore-1
586682
MISS,
3 Rest House
road
Madurai-2
Frontline, The Hindu
Kasturi Bldgs, Mount
Madras-2
road
845435
835067
55.
C.
Devaram John
57.
E.
Vellaichamy
CHERU, Ve1labommanpatty
Anna Dist
6536
58.
J.
P.
Helen Manoharan
Manoharan
34A,
34185
59.
Ff.S.
60.
Jalaldin
CHILD No. 17, Jalan P-js
9/16 Banar Sunway 46150
Petal,ing Jaya, Selngor Malaysia
7363997
61.
Thaneeya Runcharden
CWA Secretariat 10/68 Tawanrta
House, Viphavadirenesit,
Bangkok, Thailand
513-2498
62.
Mohammed Farid
SAMIN Foundation PB 1230
Yogyakarta 55012, Indonesia
63.
S.
Aravalli
Gandhian Order Trust
1, New Pankajam Colony,
64.
A.
Rajagopal
41,
65.
Dr.M.
Rengan
•
Udayakumar
GKN,
■■
Madurai—20
SPEECH, 14,
Thirupalai,
RECD,
••
41977
56.
Abraham Renold
Observer
4557009
4552137
4548115
Jeyaraja Illam
Madurai-4
Meyyappan
list Madurai-16
Chatrapatty,
North Veli st,
Satur
42855
884
■■
t
,
••
Madurai
Madurai-1
Dept.of Eco.Tagore Arts Col
Pondicherry 8
i
i
„■
'
Andheri Hilfe-S.I
Sangi1xandapuram,
Office
TriChy
67.
Fr.Kulandai
68.
Kailash
69.
A.Joseph Raj
A.S.J. Aloysius
Socio Educational Trust
29B, Thattarmalai street,
Chengalput.
27295
70.
Ansalem Rosario
Mythri Sarva Seva Samiti
Bangalore
561657
71 .
Kavitha Rathna
Lakshapath i
The Concerned for Working
Children, Bangalore
572111
575258
Raj
Sathyarthi
SACCS, Mukti Ashram,
Ibrahimpur, Delhi-36
72.
S.
Alexander
REDS,
73.
V.
Surest
458, 8th South Cross st
Sri Kabaleeswarar nagar
Meelankarai, Madras 600 041
4926324
74.
Ossie
Human Rights Advocacy
Research Foundation, 5 Morison
IV st, Alandur, Madras 16
2349640
75 .
K.B.
Equations, 168, 8th Main, Near
Indiranagar Club, Bangalore
582313
76.
Suresh Dharma
Block Theatre,
Madras
,
450931
77.
Dr.Vidhyasagar
4-IIDS, 79, 11 Mkin.Road,
Gandhi nagar, Madras—20
78.
Prof.J eyaprakasam
Dept.of Gandhi an Thought
Madurai Kamaraj University
Madqrai
79.
Dr.L.S.
80.
Thavath i ru.
Kundrakudi Adigalar
81.
A.
G.
P.
Ravi
Amalraj
Rengaraj
Peace
Trust,
82.
R.
V.
Jeyapandian
Sundararagavan
MNEC,
Madurai
Fernandes
Gopinath
Gandhidoss
P.B.No:15,
Sivagangai,
177 TTK Road
.
Resource
person
2449
412589
680044
Dept.of Social Work, Bangalore
University, P.K.Block, Palate
road, Bangalore 560 009
Resource
Guest
Thiruvannamalai Adheenam
Kundrakudi 623 206
Dindigul
16
5021
34185
Volunteer
83.
G. Mohammed Hussain
Andrews
Mrs. Merlyn
L. Lawrence
W. Albert
84.
M.
Muruga Periyar
GKN,
Madurai-20
M.I.S.S Madurai-2
85.
0.
Nandakumar
Chetana Vikas,
Madurai
86.
S.
Thomas
Centre for Peoples Movement
J 146 MMDA Colony Arumbakkam
Madras 6
■87.
"
V.
S.
Ch inniah
Thangavel
ROSE Lanthakottai,
Anna Dt 624 420
88.
S. Sekar
Alaghu Bharathi
RATS Trust 270/C Railway colony
Madurai-1
89.
J.
Peace Trust,
Trichy Road,
90.
M.S.
91.
T.
92.
C.
Paul
Baskar
Kadachenandal
44791
"
Vadugavur>Tk
Near Police Colony 5021
Dindigul-624 009
Organising
Team .
Asian Institute of Technology
GPO Box 2754, Bangkok 10501,
Thai 1 and
"
Rajkumar
The International Child care
Trust, "Bidisha", Anandagiri
6th street, Kodaikanal.
"
Kumaran
VENTURE, 1/19A, Anna Nagar
Narthamalai 622 101
Pudukkottai Dist
Shivakumar
PARD,
Rajasekaran
P.B.87,
Madurai 20
CH
Advocacy and Social Mobilisation
Towards
Elimination of Child Labour
A Brief Note on the
Issues mill Circumstances
Chihl Workers in Asin
Madurai, September 20 - 25,1993.
«* Nature of the Problem
Causes of Child Labour
< The Logic of Employing Children
Magnitude of Child Labour Incidence
»«♦ Working Children and Their Occupation
«* Some of the Main Points of Concern
u*
a.
Law on Employment of Children
b.
Hazardous Employment
c.
Wage Component
d.
Ltn iversulising Education
e.
Export - oriented Industrialisation and Competitive Devaluation of Labour
f.
Children Payingfor the National Debts
Workshop on Advocacy
Nature of the Problem
In the pre-industrial agricultural society of India, children worked as helpers and learners in hereditarily
determined family occupations under the benign supervision of adult family members. The workplace was an
extension of the home, and work was characterised by personal and informal relationships.
The social scenario, changed with the advent of industrialisation and urbanisation. The child had to workas an individual person either under an employer or independently without employing the benevolent
protection of his/her guardian. His/her work place is different from his/her home. He/she is exposed to
various kinds of health hazards emanating from the extensive use of chemicals and poisonous substances in
industries and the pollutants discharged by them. His/her work hours of work stretched long but earnings were
meagre. In most instances, employers maltreated and exploited him/her unscrupulously. His/her work
environment thus endangered his/her physical health and mental growth. In our discussions we arc largely
concerned with the economic exploitation of children and the consequences thereof.
Causes of Child Labour
Chronic poverty is responsible for the prevalence and perpetuation of child labour now. Nearly half of
India's population subsists below poverty line. In the countryside, the distribution of land is iniquitous. The
lower 50 per cent of the households own only 4 per cent of the land. As many as one-third of the rural
households are agricultural tenants and another one- third are agricultural coolies. In the cities, more than 40 per
cent of the population live in deplorable neighbourhood conditions and do not have access to regular income
earning opportunities. In such situations many families "push" their children to earn some income. The income
accuring from child labour may be a pittance but it plays a crucial role in saving the family from starvation or a
shipwreck. The spiralling inflation and rocketing prices of essential commodities have exacerbated the struggle
for survival to ultimate limits. Therefore, child labour amongst poor families is a part of the survival strategy
evolved by them.
The Logic of Employing Children
For a number of tasks, employers prefer children to adults. Children can be put on non-status, even
demanding jobs without much difficulty. Children are more active, agile and quick and feel less tired in certain
tasks. They can climb up and down staircases of multi-storeyed buildings several times during the day carrying
tea and snacks for employees of offices located in these buildings. They are also better candidates for tasks of
helpers in a grocer's shop or an auto-garage. Employers find children more amenable to discipline and control.
Children are cheaper to buy. The adaptive capabilities of children arc much superior to those of adults. Child
workers are not organised on lines of trade unions which can militantly fight for their cause. Then there are
crafts [zari/brocade work orcarpet weaving] in which highest degree of sophistication and excellence cannot be
achieved unless learning is initiated in childhood itself. Unless the fingers were trained at a very early age, their
adaptation later would be difficult.
Magnitude of Child Labour Incidence
A precise estimate of the overall magnitude of child labour in India is admittedly difficult on account of
the predominance of the informal and unorganised nature of the labour market, and also due to multiplicity of
concepts, methods of measures and the sources of data. However, it is conceded that India has the largest
number of world's working children of which South India has substantial proportion of them.
Based on the 1991 Census, an estimated figure of working children in the age group of 14 years and below,
is about 20.5 millions and it comprises about 2 per cent of the total population of the country. So many children
labour despite the Constitutional prohibition of employment of children below the age of 14 years and the
Constitutional mandate to have compulsory education of children upto 14 years. Thus, every third household in
India has a working child, every fourth child in the age group of 5-14 is employed and over 20 per cent of the
country's GNP is contributed by child labour. Some of the actively involved agencies like NGOs or UNICEF
claim that between 44 and 60 million children might be working in various sectors of the economy 1
The incidence of child labour is reportedly highest in Andhra Pradesh where it accounts for about 9 per
cent of the total labour force in the state. In fact, Andhra Pradesh accounts for about 16.2 per cent of the total
child workers in the country. Working children were largely found in lime- quarrying and various other
construction related activities and agriculture. Comparatively, less number of children were employed in the
industrial enterprises.
Tamil Nadu occupies the second position wherein 5 per cent of the total labour force were children, and
the incidence of child labour varies across districts of the state, in 1981, North Arcot, Salem and Madurai districts
accounted for a higher proportion [about 10 per cent of the total labour force] of child workers in the state; the
proportion was very low [less than 2 per cent] in Madras, Nilgiris and Pudukottai districts.
However, a recent study [1992] indicated that the incidence of child labour has grown substantially in all
the districts of Tamil Nadu apart from "traditional child labour areas" like Madurai, Sivakasi, Salem and North
Arcot. For instance the establishment of the "gem park" in Trichirapalll has proved to be attractive for many
entrepreneurs in the region; now, artificial gem cutting units have lured about 12,000 children to go for work in
artificial gem cutting units located in and around Trichirapalli and Pudukottai areas.
In Karnataka, the incidence of child labour is slowly becoming visible, and drawing the attention of the
policy makers. Though comparatively modest incidence of child labour in the state, a recent survey (1990)
indicated that contrary trend; it is now believed that about 4 per cent of labour force comprised of children below
14 years. These working children were largely found in the rapidly growing urban areas like Bangalore, HubliDharwad and Mysore wherein they eke out living in occupations such as ragpicking, hotel/petrol station boys,
zari/silk weaving [and sericulture] and various other manual labour tasks.
Working Children and Their Occupation
To derive a better understanding of the dynamics of child labour a quick review of some of the
occupations in which children are employed is discussed here. This section is only an example of the scenario
and the circumstances that are steadily evolving around us.
In plantations, child employment is a part of the family labour as a group. Parents do the main field work
and children mostly assist them, in plucking leaves, coffee berries or collecting latex or they do secondary jobs
such as weeding, spreading fertiliser/pesticides, take of nurseries etc. With their nimble fingers, many children
turn out as much work as adults.
A similar situation prevails in mining, quarrying and construction works where "family labour" is
encouraged through piece-rate system.
One of the main industries in which child labour is prevalent is bidi manufacturing in which children roll
bidies and assist the adult workers by cleaning and cutting the leaf and closing the ends. Generally, bidi rolling
is pursued as "home-based economic activity" in which women and children are engaged.
Employers do not pay adult wages to children arguing that the products do not come upto the required
standard of quality. There was sufficient indication to suspect a high incidence of tuberculosis among the bidi
workers and this, according to many medical studies, was starting at a tender age, very long hours of work,
excessive overcrowding and the peculiar posture during work which was an impediment to the healthy
development of the lungs of children.
In glass bangle industrial units children [mostly women and girls] are employed to join ends, sorting,
heating, engraving and packing. The decoration of bangles using liquid gold is extremely strenuous as they have
to work near a furnace. Cases of asthama and bronchitis or eye diseases are many.
-2-
The carpet weaving units utilise child workforce behind giant looms wherein they feverishly pick, warp
up wool as chief craftsman give instruction. The air is thick with particles of cotton fluffs and wool, and 40 per
cent of the children are asthmatic or have primary tuberculosis.
The situation is similar in handloom or silk weaving industry wherein the looms are set in dark and dingy
rooms. For long hours children sit in crouched positions thus affecting adversely their physical growth and
development.
Mining, quarrying, stone polishing or gem cutting units of various precious stones employ about 60,000
children in South India, all of whom work in miserable hovels. The work is done through middle men who
procure children for a pittance. The young gem cutters soon develop eye defects. Children are ruthlessly
retrenched with the first early signs of eye fatigue. Many are jobless in their teens.
In several write ups in newspapers and periodicals the position of children employed in the match and fire
works industry in Sivakasi and neighbourhood has been very much highlighted. It is estimated that about 60,000
children are employed in this area. There is an organised system to arrange for their transport from the
neighbouring villages and to bring them to the factory sites. The children have to leave their homes in the early
hours of the morning to catch the factory bus. An incredibly large number of them are jampacked into
ramshackle buses. Children actually start work from 7 in the morning and continue till 6 In the evening. In
between there Is a short noon break when most of them’ have their tiffins which they bring from home. Bedcause
the wages are determined on the basis of piece-rates fhey all work feverishly to maximise output. This results in
a complete neglect of their own requirements and many of the children were found rather frail and anaemic in
their looks. There is no medical assistance available to them. Despite their best efforts, the wages earned are low.
In recent times, we observe many children working in industrial units like machine tools, lathe/drilling
units and repair shops. Quite a few of them had joined the units as informal apprentices without wages but were
entitled to some "benefits'' like lunch and tea/coffee. They also repair old batteries and electrical appliances or
work in foundaries. Their service is generally procured by a contractor who obviously will not cover them under
any of the labour welfare schemes or ESI facilities.
Countless number of children are working in the unorganised and self- employed sectors in urban areas as
domestics, workers in hotels, restaurants, canteens, wayside tea stalls, shops and establishments, helpers in
service stations and repair shops, vendors, hawkers, newspaper sellers, shoe-shiners, ragpickers, collies and
casual labourers. Children in construction work are often hired along with their parents. With changing
worksites, families always have to be contened with make-shift housing structures. The work demands the
hardest physical labour which stunts the growth of the child and holds no promise or prospects for him/her.
The condition of children working in tea stalls and wayside restaurants is mostly bad. Most of these small,
improvised structures made of loose stones, bricks, mud, tin sheets, and gunny bags and cluttered with
paraphernalia leaving hardly any space for movement. With long working hours and meagre wage, the child
has most of the time to work and rest in the open, exposed to the vagaries of weather. He looks unclean, ill-clad
and barefooted.
Perhaps the most dangerous, demeaning and destructive self-worth is the job of scrap collectors or
ragpickers. The nature of their work and work environment is absolutely unhygienic. These children are largely
from dalit families residing in slums or abandoned in the streets. They develop several kinds of skin diseases;
while collecting rusted pieces, they may receive cuts on their on their bodies and become susceptible to tetanus.
Their contribution to the "recycling industry" is fairly large.
Our quick survey of the circumstances in which child labour persists indicate that there were practically no
enforcement of the legislations and no prosecutions in most parts of the country of existing laws pertaining to
working children. We also observe that the present institutional frameworks that attempt to ensure collective
bargaining in respect of working children are weak and inadequate. In areas where child labour is largely
observed [i.e., Sivakasi] we are convinced that a few token prosecutions were made periodically only to assuage
the genera! sensitivity of the people to the situation. But in all such prosecutions, the accused were Jet off with
very petty fines. This kind of situation clearly makes a mockery of law.
The recent incidences of "child trafficking" and "child bondage and slavery" remain new sources of
economic exploitation of children. It is now well-known fact that all sorts of labour "scouts" have sprung up with
the induction of increasing numbers of outside child labour. A number of children are "purchased/procured" by
unscrupulous middlemen and sold as per official affirmation, to equally unscrupulous exploiters of children.
In recent times, we have also come across instances of child bondage and slavery. One of the basic
condition of bondage is self-evident. Working children live in clusters and their parents had taken small loans
that are recoverable out of the wages of the children. These are all obviously "survival loans" yet this
transaction binds a child to the employer till the loan is "settled".
Some of the Main Points of Concern
Over the years, our concern on "child labour" has varied from rehabilitation, education to total abolition of
child labour through legislative measures. One finds supporters for legalisation of child labour as well as total
elimination of it. No one position [without understanding the socio-economic realities] is tenable. Many now
agree that a variety of intervention are necessary to challenge child labour practices. The proposed interventions
vary from rehabilitation, giving adult wages [minimum wages] to children, universalising non-formal education
for those non-schooling children, strengthening educational institutions, enrolment campaigns amongst the poor
households, lobbying for a total abolition of child labour and providing more "teeth" to the implementation
machinery of the state. These efforts require constant initiatives from all concerned and the NGOs have a
substantial role in such advocacy and social mobilisation measures.
a
Law on Employment of Children
The legislative endeavours to regulate child labour in India were almost negligible. The earliest piece of
legislation was the statutory protection of child worker in India was the Indian Factories Act, 1881. Probably the
colonial rulers were familiar with dealing in child exploitation during the industrial revolution in their home
country. They proceeded to prohibit children below 17 years to work in a factory employing 100 or more
workers. It also prohibited the employment of children above 7 years not to work for more than 9 hours a day
[with weekly holidays]. After about 10 years this legislation was revised allowing statutory protection to the
children was made to advance by increasing the minimum age to 9 years, restricting the hours of work to
maximum of 7 hours a day, and prohibiting night work between 8 pm and 5 am. Since then a number of
legislations were specifically made to cover the rights of the children as workers.
Obviously the experience of the last fifty years convince us that the provisions contained in the
Constitution as well as various Acts have not been complied with. Then we confront some of the issues : will
total ban on child labour work - will that be progressive or retrogressive ? Is the unemployment or
undermeployment among adults result directly from such a large working child population ? with raising adult
unemployment the family subsistence is very fragile, and therefore, children are forced to work and earn a
livelihood 7 why did we fail to implement universalisation of education despite a constitutional guarantee for it?
Instead of concentrating in the improvement of the situation in the area of payment of minimum wages
and implementing the constitutional duty to universalise education, we see various agencies and organisations
succumbing to the economic pressure and helplessness experienced in the enforcement of prohibitory provisions
in the employment of children and lower the age of the child further down to 14 years - this move lacks any
adequate justification!
b
Hazardous Employment
Whilst the legalistic arguments and preventive measures remain, one also observes the hazardous
circumstances in which children are employed. The working conditions are not only hazardous but retard their
growth and development, and highly susceptible to chronic diseases like tuberculosis, asthma, bronchitis etc.
Thus, there is an inherent risk involved with a particular kind of occupation and this is not known to the working
child; as the tender age invites them to "play" and lead a normal life meant for a child - the working child cannot
be prevented from playing with explosive chemicals, glass, electricity or gases.
Now a days, children are sold to be engaged in immoral occupations like prostitution [or even begging] or
any other criminal activity. In such situations, the child learns to "survive" rather than picking up a skill.
c
Wage Component
One of the important reasons for the increasing employment of children in various occupations is that it is
the cheapest. In the absence of any strict legislative provision for payment of full minimum wages to children
and its implementation, their condition is becoming worse day by day. Most of the employers do not maintain
proper rolls of the children employed in the establishment as required under the provisions of the Factories Act
and the Employment of Children's Act. If they have, it is for the limited use to take note of the employees who
have reported for the work and of the quantum of production for the day. There is no register of workers. Thus,
enforcement of any legislation becomes totally difficult.
d
Universalising Education
The various pitfalls of the present educational system has tacitly supported the prevalence of child labour
practices. A meaningful educational pattern that would allow families to take care of economic needs [to
overcome the current poor conditions] and give functional education to the children is necessary. A fall in the
enrolment of the children at the primary school level indicates our government's disinclination to invest in
educational infrastructure and provisions.
e
Export-oriented Industrialisation and
Competitive Devaluation of Labour
The restructuring of the state, the worsening effects of economic crisis e.g., emphasis on export-oriented
industrialisation that would make Indian produces globally competitive; to achieve this manufacturers tend to
reduce wages and prefer children for meeting export prices. This is commonly known as "competitive
devaluation of labour". Many of the export commodities like carpets, silk, artificial precious stones require
"nimble fingers" for production; therefore, children are enticed into the labour market.
f
Children Paying for the National Debts
Here are some points for further inquiry and analysis.
India is now paying huge sums to service its debts. One result is that state spending on health, nutrition
and education has been cut back over the years. This means that the heaviest burden of debt crisis is falling on
the bodies and shoulders of children - and this falls mostly on poor children. Children have also been paying in
our country not only for the loss of opportunity to be educated - but also on nutrition, health and even in
minimum wages when they work [as wages tend to decrease at times of economic crisis]. But faced with many
short-term problems and pressures, governments are finding it difficult to find the resources.
The increasing military spending and expenses for purposes of "security" has risen multi-fold since early
1980s. These expenses together account more than the state budget for education, health and child development
taken together 1
In the long-term, no one seriously doubts the priority of investing in schools. It is well established, for
example, that education is strongly associated with lower child death rates, lower birth rates, better health and
nutrition, and higher income earning opportunities. In addition, economic returns from education are higher
than from most other kinds of investment. Yet we find reluctance on the part of the government to consider
universalising education as a priority.
-5-
The central thesis of our understanding is that children should be protected from the worst consequences
of the adult world's excesses and mistakes, whether we are talking about violence or war or about the cumulative
effects of economic mismanagement. Vulnerable sections like children should be protected by shifting the
balance of spending in their favour. Politically this is not an easy task to engineer a shift from in priorities from
urban to rural, elite facilities like airlines to rural bus routes, from prestigious educational institutes to humble
primary schools ....
The prospects for progress will remain gloomy while more than a quarter of our GNP are spent in debt
repayments instead of being invested in growth. There is also a growing recognition that more dramatic and
decisive action on debt is in the interests of our nation.
Without such action the crisis of non-schooled children, working children [a direct consequence of
non-schooling] will shadow over us in the future years to come I!
Workshop on Advocacy
In the past decade NGOs have attempted to communicate effectively with other members of the society,
state institutions and party organisations; however, they have experienced difficulties to initiate a dialogue and
meaningful confrontation. This advocacy and communication skill needs to developed to effectively challenge
child labour issues at various levels of the society (e.g„ policy-makers, industry, neighbourhood or household).
After more than a decade of grassroot level initiatives NGOs now explicitly recognise the need for a larger
advocacy to : (a) gain better insights into the macro issues that affect child labour situation; and (b) effectively
strengthen advocacy efforts at local and regional levels.
It is in this context that the workshop on "advocacy and social mobilisation" Is organised by the Thailand
based group "Child Workers in Asia” [CWA] at Madurai from September 20-25,1993. This workshop is organised
after a scries of preparatory meetings at sub-regional levels, and CWA will share its experiences in other nations.
What is Advocacy and Social Mobilisation ?
It is about motivating people to achieve their goals or a series of common societal goals. It is to facilitate a
large number of people to participate; this initiative is self-supporting. By analogy, it is a multi-level approach
attempting to capture the attention and resources of an entire society and enlists its active support at all levels;
the policy and decision-makers, the service providers, the media and education sectors, key non-government
partners in the programme areas, the community and all other concern individuals.
It is believed that changes can be induced by : (a) compulsory forces (e.g., policy changes, effective
implementation); (b) voluntary decisions stimulated by the provision of incentives, informationm, education and
skill training; and through awareness campaign to facilitate people to see their own situation in new ways and
make informed choices.
For CWA, this is the first workshop to be organised in India. Earlier it has organised a series of
workshops, seminars and training sessions in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Hong Kong,
some parts of mainland China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Thailand. Over the years, CWA has developed a
training module on advocacy and social mobilisation, and has consistently stressed on advocacy at the household
levels as equal to government or policy makers.
At the Madurai Workshop, the first of its kind for those non-governmental organisations involved in
challenging child labour practices in south India, about eighty participants from all states are expected to take
part. This five day workshop is expected to provide a forum for exchange of information, experiences, skills in
advocacy and social mobilisation, and act together on specific issues of common concern. This will be facilitated
through an on-going process.
This workshop will focus on the tools, instruments and space that is available to bring about changes
which will facilitate progress and access to information, management and power for the most disadvantaged,
here grouped together as working children. These are working and action tools for all those who are required to
use strategies, persuasion and "aggressive" tactics in order to obtain the desired objective. Each participant will
be able to adapt them to the particular context and environment of his/her own activity - not only in the case of
politicians but also in the case of public service sectors, enterprises or any other decision-making group.
CH ?■<+
6-ft 7 3
M&pcU___
•
(>)
J/b” fy
&Of^mfMir'
__ 3>---- ■■>
,44-ax^-
/kf-
fo
/j^to^^C/pc zk>/fr/? ■___________ _________
7
/..........
.... . ..... .
— ■-■ . ........... ........
^0^7(x 0i~><A> Ja CCoL.
/ y
■
_____________________________________ ^i.^L-
—
........... v~................
/&L^ 2
A • oXa^
fa—. />*X>«- ■ #r—J/Co^-'
J* "
(T'/)J>Cj7<^'
__ _________
~~s>
/tZw/'y*?____ -
_______
_________ .___________ /Zcfr C/vr?^!____ & °- °j_________ ____________ ________________________________
*
______ _______
________ ,jp
^OzvCeoA,
&ZE&7
’
i^r
/■/eX’ffAd
C&<■?'?W J
X® c /g-r^
•
('hrvA^J
yg ^<- l/
V/
&WL. £?■___________
_s^LAg^.__ /ftJpg^L/______ a-
A^Axz^
TZTVTTTTTl
__ b CnraS-i.
~~l
''/[//v fitljM-e] &
• s>
__________
ftJtZkZv^ ■ —
ftf< (P^ &■ ft_______
'ft; y ? 11
^Jffi if O'** .
HA<-- S? <fl-^t^’_____ 6./-f
‘b-^/‘ '
__ ft, / trA-_______
__L.JI kc^ ft'J-’ft &>!'
/V» : /■
-ft
-
2&/1
jyvetfKe;-
<q
^ZdyA^c;
^/ t .'•-/
w
yrvie./^'
// "^ <
-
O-
/
'
f
//>-,
A? Ay zb
cg
Ce^w^-C^-
^MM--
kb lo^OVA
. 1
__________ '.____ _______________
r
■ ■■ --
'
-
bu ? '.--■
kksAA/^
2.
4
-
/mw/i
223
6
_________________________________________
ch-^V^Lh-e^.0^ '
f
- ■ L
J
R ClAj^eiL^'___________________
(wy
.
^z
’
■ gr
1 CH-b-
/■?</
^c/
__ . , /z^A
/
(?)
~2'r'S
0^3
[k2>(2 i
/U^ACt’
»
?3o
2>, f~-r-Q
Zv<
fyz'\< j-3/^c^y^—•
'vy
^L,
22.^
o2>fii^n bs'S
/^ /rf' '
.
‘5^7 /2) a>
<^V
£■ 6/ '6^2
CH S-S"
CITY
•THE TIMES OF INDIA, BANGALORE______________ 6p
'__________________
Street children expose lacunae in Juvenile Justice Act
Bv ALLADIJAYASRI
BANGALORE, April 1:
A little boy who was unhappy
J at home ran away to the city to
-seek his fortune. Bowled over
” by the magnificence of the great
buildings and fine people, opti
mism swelled his little heart, and
he thought, soon he too would
be as fine as they. Night fell, and
meeting a small group of street
children who were retiring for
the night on the footpath, the lit
tle boy settled down with them.
Along came the two police
constables, who rounded up the
sleeping children, marched
them off to the police station.
where they were beaten soundly
and locked up for the night.
The little boy was initiated
into the lifestyle of the street
child —illiterate, scrounging in
.the garbagefor ameal. theliving
symbol of society's rejects, and
worse still, a sitting target for
“the action arm of the law" -the
police. It would only be a matter
of time before his dreams are
buried under the mounds of gar
bage that would dominate the
next few years of his life, as he
runs for cover whenever a po
liceman is sighted.
This was a play staged by
street children at a workshop to
discuss the lacunae in the Juve
nile Justice Act. 1986 (JJA). or
ganised by the city forum of the
»
seven NGOs working for street
children last week.
The theme of the workshop
was to critically review the pro
visions of the Act, and to suggest
changes to convert it from a wel
fare legislation into an instru
ment of empowerment of chil
dren. for the protection of their
rights, since India has acceded
tp the UN convention on the
rights of the child in December
1992.
It is estimated that about 4.2
lakh children live on the streets
of Bombay. Madras, Calcutta,
Hyderabad. Bangalore and
Kanpur, and contrary to com
mon belief, most of them are
neither rootless nor unattached.
Nearly 89 per cent of them live
with parents or family. While
about 58 per cent of the street
children work for a living, 47 per
cent of these are self-employed.
as vendors, shoe-shines, news
paper hawkers, parking lot at
tendants and so on.
Nearly 90 per cent of the
street children are exposed to
dirt, smoke and other pollutants
and health hazards. Those who
are not exploited by parents and
employers are. as demonstrated
by the play, vulnerable to har
assment by the police and occa
sionally. the municipal authori
ties. If the former round them
up for crimes not committed by
them, on charges of vagrancy,
gambling and street brawls, and
pack them off to remand homes,
the latter harass them by confis
cating their shoe shine kits, or
shooing them away from the
streets.
At the workshop delegates,
representatives of NGOs from
Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Pune,
Madras. Madurai and the city.
besides lawyers and experts.
were of unanimous in the view
that the Act should make a clear
distinction between a juvenile
delinquent and a neglected child
to bring about the changes in the
Act.
Seeing a bigger role for NGOs
in handling delinquents and buf
feting them from the brutal as
pects of contact with the police,
the participants recommended
sensitisation of the police, parti
cularly in the middle and lower
ranks, since they deal directly
with street children and crime.
While most street children who
commit crimes are not afraid of
punishment, they dread being
sent to remand homes without
exception, they pointed out.
Ms Rita Panicker. of Butter
flies. Delhi, who conceded that
in recent years seniorpolice offi
cers were increasingly identify
ing themselves with the cause of
street children in major cities
where their numbers was grow
ing, however, felt that the com
pulsion to sensitise themselves
to the circumstances of the
street child was not evident
down the line.
There has been an occasion
when the street children in the
jurisdiction of a particular police
station were taken in on the pre
text of giving them identity
cards, and kept locked up all day
without food or water, and then
whisked away at night to be re
leased about 25 km away from
their "home" on the streets. Ms
Panicker said.
The principle causes of child
abandonment, neglect, abuse
and exploitation, which are the
main reasons for a child to turn
to the streets, could be directly
linked to the persistence of rural
and urban poverty. Said UNI
CEF programme officer Mr
Gerry Pinto: "A child left on the
streets to fend for himself or
herself may resort to thefts,
other criminal acts and prostitu
tion for subsistence. The child,
thus, becomes an expert in the
art of survival, and a growing
anti-social stance is fostered in
him or her. by resentment and
distrust of the society, which has
rejected it in the first place”.
This is where, delegates said,
the chasm between the legisla
tion of the JJA and its imple
mentation became obvious. Ms
Ved Kumari, faculty of law.
University of Delhi, who poin
ted out that since the delinquent
actions of children were forced
by circumstance rather than the
result of a hardened deviant
strain in their'Character, it was
necessary to make the distinc
tion between tuielinquent child
and a neglected child, regardless
of whether a crime had been
committed or not.
The Act covered the majority
of poor children, but left the im
plementation of infrastructural
obligations Jo the discretion of
the state governments. Under
the Act it was left to the state
governments to establish the
various agencies for implement
ing these obligations, and thus
non-implementation was more
the rule than the exception, she
argued. v
Most of the provisions focus
on institutionalisation, project
ing it as the prime measure for
dealing with children. This is
?ga>nst the principles laid down
m the UN standards minimum
rules for administration of juve
nile justice (also known as the
Beijing rules), which gives this
option as a last resort Ms Ved
Kumari said.
Another alarming fact is that
a special chapter on treatment of
special offences against chil
dren, although included in the
Act, remains unimplemented in
the absence of an enforcement
mechanism, she said.
According to Ms Indumathi
Chiplunkar, member, juvenile
welfare board, Pune, and repre
senting Action for the Rights of
the Child, the interface between
the police and the NGOs. is la
ced with antagonism and con
flict of interests, particularly
since the police regard street
child as illegal, requiring institu
tionalisation.
The JJA, on the other hand,
operates o ■ the premise that in
stitutionalisation is the last re
sort, particularly in the case of a
delinquent child, who might be
guilty ofcrime. To sensitise the
police to the needs and compul
sions of street children, she sug
gested the involvement of
NGOs as agencies creating the
social and intellectual bridge,
where the various facets of gov
ernment policy and functioning
could be examined to apply to
the actual and assumed needs of
the children.
Until the political process
evolves a mechanism that direct
ly relates to the marginalised
groups, and responds directly.
the NGO would remain a neccessary intermediary presence,
she pointed out.
• GH %-G
REPORT OF THE TWO DAY WORKSHOP ON STREET CHILDREN
Dates
6th and 7th July
Venue
Community
Health
Cell,
367,
Nilaya
I
Main,
Jakkasandra,
Koramangala, Bangalore 560 034.
1993
I
Srinivasa
Block,
Subjects dealt
with
Psychosocial and health problems
Communication technics and approach
methodology
Resource persons
Dr. Shekar Sheshadri
Child Psychiatrist.
(NIMHANS),
Dr. Shirdi Prasad Tekur,
Coordinator,
Community Health Cell.
Mrs. Indira Swaminathan
Psychologist) .
Organisations
presents
No.
of
participants
(Educational
REDS
l.
(Ragpickers Education &
Development Society).
2.Bosco Yuvadaya.
3.MAYA,
(Movement
-for
Alternative
and
Youth Awareness).
4.Montford Sisters (Asha Deep) Street
Children Programme.
S.Carmalite Sisters.
16
(list enclosed with addresses).
Mr.
Chander, CHC team member welcomed the participants
and
the
resource persons to the workshop.
The introductory session
was
started with an affirmation game.
Each participant should add an
adjective to his or her name while introducing oneself.
(example
active
Anthony).
The next person should repeat the
names
with
the
adjective
of
as
many people
who
have
already
finished
introducing
themselves.
This is what all about the
affirmation
game.
This
helps
injA recollecting
the
names
of
the
other
participants as well as gives a positive image to oneself.
The
first
session of the workshop was handled by
Dr.Shekar
on
psycho-social problems and the factors that influence during
the
developmental
period
of a kid from birth to the stage
where
a
child
actually
becomes homeless or street
child.
The
social
role
models in the families, social pathology of
the
families,
social environment and the role of media were some of the
factor
discussed
that
influence during the developmental period
of
a
child.
Anxiety, weeping and sadness were some of
the
internal
behavioural pattern that leads to aggression was described as
an
example of the psycho-social condition of these children.
Approach
in handling these children and methods of studying
the
case
history
of
these children were some
more
of
the
areas
discussed.
Giving
an
unconditional
positive
regard
to
the
children
was
discussed as an approach and
problem
focused
or
narrative
with
minimal
questions as a method
of
inquiry
was
suggested.
Dr.Shirdi
Prasad Tekur had a discussion on health
problems
and
its
causes
during
the
afternoon
session.
Discussion
on
prevention of some of the health problems caused by poor personal
hygiene and poor nutrition created an awareness in educating
the
children.
Diarrhoea, scabies, intestinal
worms,
tuberculosis,
leprosy, STD and cuts and wounds are some of the health
problems
which were dealt in specific.
The
second day's programme focused on
communication
techniques
and
approach
methodology
by
Mrs.
Indira
Swaminathan.
She
emphasised
the
need to move away from
the
usual
predominance
given
to dialogue and
conversation as a means of
communication
to
one
where there is more emphasis on
rhythmic
conversation,
songs,dance
and
games were some of
the
communication
methods
applied
and
tested.
Puppetry was introduced
as
a
means
of
understanding, different role models in the community and to give
them skills in the use of puppets.
The
participants
were
asked
to
observe
the
application
of
communication techniques and approach methodology with the street
children at REDS programme
by Mrs. Indira Swaminathan during the
afternoon
session.
There was a discussion about
the
practical
session
in order to identify the advantages of
non-conventional
methods in effective interaction with the children.
The
following
are
some of the
advantages
participants on the non-conventional methods.
method eliminates the
1.
Learning
non-conventional
with the facilitator.
2.
It attracts the children very easily.
3.
It helps
team building
identified
shy
by
the
feeling
in no time.
The following are some of the expectations by the participants to
be
met through the further follow up programmes.
Communication
skills,
hygiene, introducing chiId-to-chiId programme,
managing
conflict,
psycho-social
problems,
teaching
methodology
and
importance
of skill training.
-2-
The
participants were asked to answer
workshop
and
the
answers
are
as
a)
Regarding the definition of
are working with.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
b)
c)
before
the chiIdren/people with whom they
the reasons
that force a child
to become
homeless.
No family love
Irresponsible parents
More than one parent
Death of parents
Alcoholic parents
Quarrelsome family atmosphere
Forced to go to school
Want of freedom what the child wants to do
Unnecessary harassment
Regarding
the
methods
which were
already
adopted
organisations in handling the street children.
1 .
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
the
Street Children
Unauthorised slum dwellers
Asteriks
Unshaped Diamonds
Thrown out of the society
Ragpickers
Unloved or uncared street children
Regarding
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
-few questions
follows.
by
the
Counsel 1ing
Psychotherapy
Physical fitness training
Providing shelter
Fellowship gathering
Saving scheme
Education
Medical aid, and
Skill training.
The
workshop
concluded
with
the
further action to be taken regarding
participants'
feedback
and
the follow up programmes.
gh
g-9-
Cl (
The goal;.of-post-independence elementary educational policy
was to universalise elementary education on the basic pattern
by the-Constitution.8 In quantitative" terms, it meant radically
increasing the.number of schools and student enrolment to ensure.
that all children in the age-group 6-14 years were in school by
1960.
In part, to meet some of'the staggering costs involved
in creating and maintaining the required facilities, and.in order
to provide a liberal, vocational, citizenship training, the goal.
was to transform the entire elementary school system to the Basic
pattern as far as the qualitative side was concerned.
The hereculean task that- confronted those responsible for
implementation was to ensure, within a decade, extraordinary
quantitative and qualitative- reforms. All of this was to be
achieved within the limited resources that the nation could
provide which was always far less than even the minimum educational
requirements. The problem lay not merely in ensuring universal
provision of schools, universal enrolment.and retention of children
in the age-group .6-14 years.. What wqs especially unrealistic
about this policy was that universal elementary education was
expected to be achieved-as early as 1960, and that too of the
utopian qualitative order explicit in Basic education.
Such a
perspective on educational change ignored what was then widely
known about the Economic, social and political constraints on the
educational system.
These factors, limited the capacity of the
educational system to make a quantum leap on both quantitative
and qualitative fronts simultaneously.
The realities, however,, could not be avoided.
By 1959, a year
short of the Constitution's target date, the results of the First
All India Educational Survey were available.
It indicated that
only 83.1 per cent had access to - primary school facilities and
50.3 per cent of the' rural habitations were served by a'middle
school or section.
As in colonial India, the major problem was'
retention of children enrolled in Standard I. In 1950-51 for every 1,00 children enrolled.’in Standard I, there were 38 in
’
Standard TV and 12 in Standard VII; in 1961, the situation .had
deteriorated in that the proportion in Class IV was down to 33.
And consequently, only 42.2 per cent, of all the children, in the
age-group 6-14 years were enrolled at the time when it was ex
pected that all of them would be in elementary school*
.
’
..2
COMMUNITY health cell
47/1. (First Floorj St. Marks Road,
Bangalore - 560 001,
" •-“'Tito—crospect-s- ’of" Basic education becoming the new elementary
education pattern looked even bleaker (Table 3.1)•
TABLE 3.1
PROGRESS IN BASIC SCHOOLS BETWEEN 1950-1960- .
BASIC SCHOOLS/ENROLMENT
’ 1950-51
1960-61
Junior Basic Schools- (approx.
I-V)
1,400
25,866
Proportion of Junior Basic
Schools to the total number
of primary schools-percentage
.7
7.8
Senior Basic schools (standard
VI-VIII)
351
14,269
Proportion of senior basic
schools to the total number
of middle schools-percentage
2.6
28.7
.9
15.5
Students in junigr and senior ..
Basic schools as percentage of
.all students in primary and
middle schools ■
SOURCES: India, Ministry of Education, Education in India
1950-51, India, Ministry of Education, Education in India, 1960
61, Primary schools in U.P. have not been included as Basic
schools though they have been classified officially as Basic.'
At about the time of independence’,■ the U1P. State Government
overnight declared their primary schools to be Basic Schools
a change of nomenclature was the only result.
Despite liberal financial grants from the Central
government which took a keen interest in promoting Basic
education, the results were not promising. Even by 1960, the
majority of. elementary students were being educated in traditional
institutions. It was abovious that it would take many decades
for .Basic education, to .become the national pattern.
As far as the qualitative aspects were concerned, the results
were more disappointing. The majority of new .Basic schools or
elementary institutions converted .to the Basic patterns showed
little qualitative difference from the numerically large but
equally dismal traditional counterparts. The only striking dif
ference was that the * former spent one-third to one-rhalf of'the
school,day on craftwork, which was mostly limited to spinning';
The disenchantment was complete when it was discovered soon
after independence' that in practice. Basic schools were not only
nowhere near the goal of self-sufficiency, but ironically were
more expensive to set up and maintain than their literary
counterparts.
J. "C
CxS
O±? CI1CX*U
U-AiJ-.-J
Cl L, ,-. V > *1
1X
—.... .........
.-—••■
•* •
-- -■
■expectations on both the quantitative and qualitative fronts..
The problem that could no longer be avoided was whether the
country could afford an education which was expected to be
qualitatively superior and cheaper, but in practice turned out to
be neither. And this too when the universal complaint of Union
and State ministers of education was that elementary education
was being starved of funds, and that even the bare minimum as
far as bulding; equipment and teachers’ salaries could not be
provided.
Long before the 1964-66 Education Commission pronounced
its terse epitaph on Basic education-11 No single stage of education
need be. designated as Basic education"-it had been an open secret
that it had been moribund for a long time.^ In 1965, the Union
Minister of Education, M.C. Chagla, stated in parliament that he
agreed "as Dr. Zakir Husain said the other day, it has become
a vast mockery."10 This merely reflected what had long been the
prevailing view but had hitherto been rarely acknowledged
Officially.
Why did Basic education fail to develop as the new system of
mass elementary education? The overwhelming consensus of offical
and non-official opinion, then, as even now, was that this great
experiment failed due to inadequate implementation.
The reasons
forwarded include apathetic and agnorant administrators, poor
quality of teachers and teacher training resulting in lifeless
traditional classroom teaching, inefficient craft teaching in
Basic training caliches and scheels, inadequate resources for land,
buildings, craft equipment and materials, truncation of the
Basic course into
*A major problem, and one which is even more serious today,
was that government officials were constrained to discuss their
views freely since it was considered heretical on their part to c
criticise government policy. A dim view was taken of the tren
chant comments, submitted by R.r, Singh, who was the Education
Advisor to the Ministry of Community Development in the mid
fifties, on Basis education policy end its implementation.
junior (primary}and senior (minddie) stages, the absence of sen
ior basic schools, and the lack of articulation with higher levels
of education. ~ The more populist strain of critcism also
perceived in its failure the. successful machinations of the
powerful elites of Indian society.
In some cases they were
also held .partly responsible' for the rural masses' apathy and some
times hostility towards Basic education.
...
—3
Explicit or implicit in all these accounts with very few
exception was that Basic education
no$ "th$ p©aX point in .
tha development of world educational thought." as one of its more
-•repEMch.^3
’That: was rarely questioned-and when questioned not
developed into a comprehensive radical critique-was whether
the record of poor implementation resulted from attempting to
implement the unimplementable. Inadequate implementation was
merely the inevitable.consequence of a misguided effor to insti
tutionalise a conceptually unsound model of mass elementary
education.-
At no time in the past thirty years or in the foreseeable
future could the fundamental principles of Basic education be
impletmented an a mass scale.*
It was theoretically deficient as
a model of mass element'ary education in that it set out utopian
objectives which were impossible to meet. Moreover, it could
not respond to the national and.constitutional imperatives to
expand elementary education rapidly.
Its structure precluded it
from tackling creatively the problems confronting the traditional
educational system, and in fact exacerbated the fight against
illiteracy.
BASIC EDUCATION-THE INEVITABLE FAILURE OF A CONCEPTUALLY
INAPPROPRIATE MODEL OF MASS ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
The following discussion delineates various aspects of this
case. Each aspect begins with a frief statement, and the argu
ment is then devloped arid explained in detail.
i.
The objectives and content of Basic Education could not
be
*It should be noted tha^^prior to independence, thre is
documentary evidence to prove that at least in the state of Bom
bay, the educational establishment and those in charge of imple
menting Basic education knew that it was not possible,, despite
concertand conscientious attempts, to implement it on a mass A
level.
This realisation was based on the poor record of the
experimental Basic schools begun in the state.
reconciled with a high pupil-teacher ratio and a system of shift
• or part-time instruction, but was designed and could only be imple
mented with a low pupil-teacher ratio and full-time schooling
This not only precluded lowering the costs of schooling when it
was implemented, but effectively undercut the ability- of the new
model to tackie enrolment and dropout problems which were the
major deficiencies of the existing traditional system.
Basic education was to provide the all-round training required
for the new citizen o£ India. It was to inculcate a level of
skill in the central handicraft chosen which would enable a pupil
at the completion, of the eight year course to pursue it as an
occupation. The curriculum suggested by the Zakir Husain
Committee Report for the seven- years that it envisaged as neces
sary for meeting the objectives of Basic education, included
among other subjects, mother-tongue, mathematics, social studies
. .5.
■-arrci~<K— science.- These were to be correlated as much as,
possible to the central handicraft, and the physical and social
environment, in order to establish the foundations in the nations'
youth for the evolution of a new type of man-one who was non-violent,
upheld the dignity of manual labour, had occupational skills in
the craft, and was an aware and active citizen who would help
in the •.reaonstru.Qtipn. of ..the- nation. ■
■
.....
‘-.iy
- ■.
-
- b.
t
■
.
En.-short, the Basic curriculum a was conceived., to be a far
.richer curriculum than the traditional curriculcun-and one which
was not.and could not.be modifed substantially by later reports
on Basic education.
This was not surprising given that its
objectives were more. ambitious-"the' creation of a new type of mans
While in its implementation, practice varied from schools to school, ■
the curriculum was richer if -in. notihing .else in that the Basic
s.chool.gaye a^eentr'al position, to .the teaching .of craft-,, and
emphasised cpummunity-and •-other, practical: .activities.
The implications of such a curriculum, as far as .the number.
of students a teacher could possiblv handle, were clear, The.
Zakir Husain Report, suggested that the teacher-pupil ratio should
not exceed is30 since a...larger number of students would not make
it possible for the "teacher to discharge his heavy and responsible
duties efficiently.",15. Weighed by similar and.other, considerations
■pSr fPX" example - the, necessity, of specialist; t&achcrs. at ..the. middle
schools stage, the; 1-944 S.grgent Report. suggested/a-is 30 ratio.in
punier- .Basic, (.primary) schools and.. 1:25'..inSenior-. Basic (middle)
schools,
The. 1950 ■ Kher Committee, on the ways and Means of. Finan-
P-PSk EducatiSnal- Deyglopipent in-.I^dia while strongly advocating
the. guick change-over,--of - the nation's?academic.schools to thel .■
•Basic - pattern,., with " great;.reluctance ". aggeed that financial
■popsi.a®rations .necessitated-.that the-teachertpupil ratio should
be 1:40 instead of 1:30 "though from, the educational point of
view the change'would be most undetrable.'-" •'16 However, it recom
mended-that this was 'to' be reviewed at’the - end of five 'years, and
that the 1:30 ratio was to be restored earlier if possible.
The low pupil-teacher ratio that was advocated was not
merely a consequence of the enriched curriculum and craft which :
was. central to the concept of Basic education. ■ --.-.Such-an- uneconomic
rat io .was also the consequence. of a. superior. pedagogy-;which:was.;-
expected of -Basic teachers than.traditional.pedagogues.
For at-
the he art of Basic educ ation was thq. notion-th at the craft and the natural and social enylrpnrpeht ,.lwhich-. -f ormed.the-basis - of . the
curriculum,- werg. to be taught, in... an < integrated manner as far as
possible.
More^tyer,'--the'Concept of an enriched curriculum precluded
any notion of shrtening the school-day, having joart-time
■classes or using the shift system. This Could not be done
without affecting, adversely.-the: object iv-b's? of thsv R'asit'''prc.grsnne. .-r- £r.-d •
-.could:?;theg shne-'fcachebe "bs'e'd--to
1 tgaoh. fftwbe c.l.asses.;,;(-dbublethhi^‘'^d^m^t-*,!^,:^®At'-the ..-.working hours. .of elementary. sqhpp.l--> t^achers.-i.-XPo-hh^UU'^ibbptablo
. level, • The< implication^ -of /the -qoncppt.:.o± Sasic' edubati-on
,, for the. length of. the .school-day- and? l±3sp ffinitem®nb^.-,S.j^>mpatibility. with' the. -shift 'system ?was.'.: rebp.ghisjed -by B&bid-'i v
educationists. ' For . according- to . J-.,Pl ? Walk-st; bull
. . . . ■
......
.
.
■ ? e't-'i-oj
^’Eyer--- since" 1937/' the . supporters ..of- Bas.i.c. Education
.. .h'-b-9PP.°^A -t-hp ^trp.^^fipji^^
®iKS. .the?
.. .adppti-on. of. shorter.. schap 1--hpurjs? s.-a:p-.-.- pns sc.'ron sta’gbej^-or.
The general, opinion,,, the refore,.-:-was 1 thatnthe.to
... ch.po._se between two., mutually exclusive? catpgprics-Bas'ic?. , Fdu.cation or the. shift- system,17. . .
■■.. On this;- is.sue,'the’ Basic1 educationists- following the
. ipiperatives pf'.the'-cohcept: and ■.objective's bf -Basic "education
- werer -quite -right th?bpjtJo.'sihg' any rattbrripts.;'tb • shorten the''
.-.school-day-. ...Ope- must disagree' with 'd.'Pv'Nair-who?"Has observed
. that the? shift system-and-Basic ;educa-tibri were/compatible.
■ This was--based, on-.the -fact that a -schbmp, -inspired'by Rajaji
■ when he was the? .thibf ^Minister of Madras', attempted to '
.'■ reconcile- the- two-. . :Though?the committee whichdsbued the
■ r®.P°pt- was -headed- by -.the....leading- exponent- of 'a ' sHoite'r
duration of schpq-l-ing and? the- shift system, R.V. Parulekar,
■it did-riot,- in- One''s bblnioh"reibhcil'e- th'h conflicting'
: -demands- of the -shift systeni arid "'Basic Edu'cati'oh by reducing
formal instruction to three hours a day arid by organizing
- hit out -of -school' programme- of' suitable activities to make up
. for this deficiency",- as' J.p. Naik has maintained.18 ’
'
1
This, scheme',. hoy/e.yer .was hot implemented; neither .did it
seem feasible on a mass scale..-: For phe, it did riot reconcile
,thet problem of shortening the schpol-day because for .dt ?to
■ have been.implemented, .teachers (or.some other.paid employees)
would have had to-.supervise the :out~of-school activities of
young children.
Part of these activities including the teach
ing, of -crafts were .relegated to parents or. craftsmen in, the
This meant that correlating. craft teaching .with
academic subjects would have had to be discarded. Moreover,
in addition to the problems-of-admirifsterin.g-"and1 super-vising
-the. pro.grarane,. parents or draftsmen in the vi’il age -may not
have bean willing to take on th© ardaous- rcns-nonsibi.litles
.. 7
-7of apprenticing the entire elementary school-going children
of the village.
And if the qut-of-school activities were to
be an integral part of the Basic curriculum, it would have
had to be made compulsory, which would merely have disguised
■the'problem of shortening the sahool-day.
In this’ connection, the Basic educationist, G. Ramanathan,
while advocating the use of the shift system to achieve the
objectives of expanding primary education and promoting
universal literacy has pertinently observed that the principles
of Basic education imply that "Basic education must be a full-
time education.
The programme of Basic education cannot be
contained within the limits of shift system." 19
Herein lay the problem. For the only areas in which
elementary educational expenditures could have been substan
tially reduced were teachers’ salaries.
In 1950, teachers"
salaries accounted.. for about 80 per cent of the total direct
costs of elementary education and have steadily risen, and at
present constitute more than. 90.per cent of direct expenditures
Cutting costs by increasing substantially the number of pupils
per teacher or by adopting a double-shift system in which
teachers taught ap additional batch of students could not be
attempted in Basic education.
Its conceptual framework
precluded undertaking such a step since its objectives could
only bo met by. teachers instructing full-time and smaller
classes. Consequently, in the one area where major econo
mies were possible, Basic-education could not even attempt
to be cheapter than the traditional model, but as a result
of additional factors turned out to be more expensive.
Such a cost-cutting strategy was, however, theoretically
compatible with the traditional system. The Kerala experience
• with the shift System is pertinent. Immediately after inde
pendence, Kerala adopted the double shift system resulting
in .high teacher-pupil ratios. Adopting' it for all the first
four primary classes, this state was successful in freeing
.its limited resources to meet the continually increasing
. .
demand for education by keeping the costs per pupil low.
This
step, in addition to various historical and social factors,
resulted in Kerala becoming the .most advanced state in
education.20
..8
Moreover," since- the economic and social benefits of the
enriched curriculum of Basic education could only be realised
by a full time school, it meant that the necessary shortening
of the school-day, which was the most important strategy that
could have successfully tackled the problems of increasing
enrolments and minimising dropouts, was theoretically impossible.
In contrast, nothing conceptually prevented the traditional model
as for example in Kerala, to adopt, a shorter working day.
The
more ambitious objectives and richer content of Basic education
were theoretically incompatible with the nation of a part-time
school built around the need for the majority of our children
to be also helping at hoijie or at work.
For it had been well
established almost half, a century ago that the principal reason
for primary school dropouts was that the urband and rural masses
could not afford the luxury of full-time schooling.
Even though
free tution and textbooks are provided, most young children
forego school since they are more urgently required at home or
in other work situations to indirectly or directly augment family
incomes. Ironically, Basic education, whose mission was to
serve the masses, was theoretically and inexorably committed
■ to. full-time schooling which was structurally biased against
their more immediate and pressing
need to survive.
II. To fulful the Objectives of Basic education, a programme
of eight years of full-time schooling was envisaged. This
was far in excess of the average number of years that students,
especially from the rural masses, spent in schools, and hence
in appropriate as a model of mass elementary Education.
Both pre-independence and post-independence views on Basic
education concurred with the notion that it covered .the entire
elementary, and not merely primary, span of schooling. The
■
Zakir Husain Committee's recommendation that seven years of
schooling were necessary was lengthened by one year by the
Sargent Report on the advice of the two CASE Committees on Basic
edua'ation. In Post-independence India, the latter view was
upheld.
The 1956 Assessment Committee on Basic education
reiterated this fundamental principle that "Basic education .is .
continuous education for eight years without a break."
Such an extended period of full-time schooling for all
children was perceived as essential for training the now ci-ttjzen. of India, A much shorter period would not be sufficient to
successfully meet the ambitious objectives of Basic education.
wHa-t-would be- ensured, according to the Zakir Husain Committee,
it should be reiterated was, "the essential modicum of social
and civic training," and a "literacy training v.hich will be
through enough to make any lapse into illiteracy impossible."
The duration of schooling covering the entire elementary
spectrum was also perceived as necessary for acquiring sufficient
skill in the basic craft to practice it successfully as-
a vocation.
Moreover, the principle of moving towards self-
sufficiency
in Basic education was intimately connected with
viewing the entire eight year period of full-time training
in craft as an uninterrupted whole.
For while in the early
years the returns from sale, of craftwork were likely to be
negligible, it was expected that this would be compensated for
by the increased productivity in the latter period of apprenti
ceship as children acquired the necessary maturity, skills and
practice to.make better craft products.
If the full benefits of Basic education were to be received
only after eight years of full-time schooling, then only a
minority of students were likely to emerge frbm Basic schools
with the expected occupational and citizenship skills.
For
according to.the Third All-India Educational.Survey, in 1973-74,
for every 100 children enrolled in Standard I, only 31 were in
Standard V, and only 18 were in Standard VIII.
It should be noted that in colonial India, educationists
were cognizant of the implications of raising the duration of
compulsory full-time schooling.
The phenomenon of wastage and
dropouts was worse before independence and had been recognised
as the significant weakness of the traditional structure since
the 1929 a shorter duration of schooling, R.V. Parulekar, had
recommended abridging the five year period of compulsory education
to four years for the compelling reason thats
The duration of school life of a primary pupil in India
would roughly work, out between two and three years for
children in the first four classes. This' means that in
the majority of cases, the Indian parent, poor though he
be, is willing to spare his child for schooling for a period
of years-which will not exceed three. In a poor country
like India the period of compulsory education must not be
far in excess of that for which the parent can spare the
child for schooling.
Sir George Anderson has aptly observed,
... ;10
MorcoverT''"since-the economic' and social benefits of the
. - enriched, curriculum of Basic education could only be realised
by a full time school, it meant that the necessary shortening
of the school-day, which was the most important strategy that
•could have successfully tackled the problems of increasing
enrolments and minimising dropouts, was theoretically impossible.
In contrast, nothing conceptually prevented the traditional model
> as for example in Kerala, to adopt a shorter working day. The
.. / .more ambitious objectives and richer content of Basic education
/
were theoretically incompatible with the nation of a part-time
\
school built around the need-for the majority of our children
to be-also helping at horjie or at work. For it had been well
established almost half a century ago that the principal reason
.for primary school dropouts was that the urband and rural masses
could not afford the.luxury of full-time schooling.
Even though
free tution and textbooks are provided, most young children
■ ' forego school since they are more urgently required at home of
; - in other work situations to indirectly or directly augment family
incomes.
Ironically, Basic education, whose mission was to
serve the masses, was theoretically and inexorably committed
■ to. full-time schooling which was structurally biased against
..their more-immediate and pressing need to survive.
II.1 To fulful the Objectives of Basic education, a programme
of eight years of full-time schooling was envisaged. This
was far in excess of the average number of years that students,
especially from the rural masses, spent in schools, and hence
in-appropriate as a model of mass elementary’education.
Both pre-independence and post-independence views on Basic
education concurred with the notion that it covered the entire
elementary, and not merely primary, span of schooling. The
■ Zakir Husain Committee's recommendation that seven years of
... Schooling were necessary was lengthened by one year by the
Sargent Report on the advice of the two CABE Committees on Basic
education. In Post-independence India, the latter view was
upheld.
The 1956 Assessment Committee on Basic education
reiterated this fundamental principle that "Basic education is
continuous education for eight years without a break."
Such an extended period; of.,full—time schooling for all
children was perceived as essential for training.. the-J3cw<=citizeru—
of. India.
A much shorter period would not be sufficient to
successfully meet the ambitious objectives of Basic education.
-11-
t-ij.cen.tral to -Fnl.-F-i 11 i ng the objectives of Basic education
were teachers of whom such a wide variety of skills^ aryl dedi
cation were expected that, given the . salaries, j^nd-.status .of. ■ ,:
elementary school tegcn.-'.rs, they C.9U.I4 on Ar
on a limited scale, and not in the numbers required for a mass
scheme "of education.
?
.
A basic teacher was:expected to:possess a variety of -skills:
knowledge and ability to teach crafts' to 'young-children of-a
proficient standard which would enable them ; to'.contribute>to
most or part of the recurring expenditure of ’ their-, schools, and
pursureit later 'as--'aq': occupation; ,knowledge of, and'-.apj ^il.itpy
’ to' tegch’ ;.arid . initiate, ha-< yariety-pfradademin .subjects , comrpunity
and practical 'activities-, and the pedagogic -skills ' to ;correlgte
them as'far as "'possible to the physical environment, .social
..environment and' Craft'Work' which constituted. the three .foci of
the Basic curridu lumC .' From’ Gandhi j 2.0 who”' cd ns ide red tl? at " the
- 'village', teacher has' to be replaced' by more competent ones," . ' ,-:
to Zakir'Husain who'confessed publiclyat the Wardha Conference
that "if i "am'asked today to teach" all the' subjects' through
spinning, I shall have to.encounter great difficulties, " it was
evident"to all concerned that a very special type of teacher .
25
was-needed to implement the scheme successfully.
In this connection, the Zakir Husain Committee recommended
thatonly suitable■candidates with "special■social and moral
qptitudes and qualities" should be selected as "Basic teachers.
It'suggested a three year training course for fresh trainees .
whohad qualified up to the matriculation or those who had two
years teaching experience after passing the vernacular final.
To begin the scheme as' soon as possible, a short, emergency
course of one . year1 s' training- was to.-be proyided for specially
^selected teachers. The ^argent Report recommended'that the
minlrnrrtkjualiflcatinns for Basis elementary teachers be ..coiriple*tion of the matriculate., but shortened the training period
to two years.
What was-the situation in pre-independence India as far
as the quality of teachers and teacher training was concerned?
It was an open secret that the average elementary school teacher,
as a-result of poof pay andinadequate initial qualifications
.and training,■ was barely more literate than his tudents.
In
1949-50, the percentage of elementary school teachers who were
matriculates was about 13 per cent. By I960., • when .the ■ Con
stitutional directive-of-free—and-compulsory-education was
7 ■-
o--.
io'
' ■
r.nis
rt'g? had. risen f.
•
-’0
•
k r-. over, iu .1946-41In ’1 the
• i.n_- primary uiS.
r-'
.
-..I; 4'3 .
a.-nt ■ - 'the t.-wh^rs vow tra-tned.
“OwXny—to—-the—pcrvei-ty"' of“the masses the length of time
in which parents can afford to kee}3 their children in
,
.
....................... „23
schools is limited. 1
It should be noted that the vast majority of Primary
Education Acts enacted before independence in various provinces
had limited the period of compulsion to five years.
The implications of a longer duration of schooling were
raised right from the beginning at the first Wardha Conference.
It was, however, felt that parents would retain the children
for the entire period since by the end of the course, children
would have acquired the requisite craft skills and training
to become earning members of the family.
Tucked away in a
corner of the Zakir Husain Report was the impractical
suggestion that;
It will be possible for boys to remain at school for a longer
period only if they are able to render some financial
contribution to the home.
The school/ therefore, should
make arrangements for them to undertake spinning at home,
and should see that the boys receive- the proper wages in
24
return .
It is evident that the~implications. of raising the period
. of full-time compulsory schooling so far in excess of. what, most
..children could be expected to spend in schools were recognised
but glossed over by hoping for attitudinal changes.and by
impractical suggestion's.. The gravity, of the rssue was. realised
but it could not be seriously confronted as it would have
required an unacceptable radical revision of the conceptual
framework of ..Basic education. • -.. ’’
.
• ...'
. .
Consequently, the- full benefits, of this model of mass
elementary'education could only be reaped by the fortunate few
who could afford to be in schools for eight years on a full-time
bas£s. ■ Thus .Basic education found itself in an intellectual
bind. Shortening', the duration of schooling would have meant
that.it would have had to give up its ambitious and radical
economic and socio-political goals.
And keeping the eight
year, period, as it-did, meant institutionalising a p.attern of.
full-time schooling which the rural masses, who were its
intended beneficiaries, could not afford to complete.
...11
12-
. expected to be achieved, this percentage had risen to only 40
per cent. Moreover, in 1940-41, in all the existing primary and
secondary schools, only 40 per cent of the teachers were trained
Though this figure has doubled by now, it should be noted that
in 1960-61,. the training period varied from state to state and
that it was not possible for some states to raise the duration
. of the training course to two years. But perhaps the most
significant indicator of the inadequacy of training facilities
was that most Basic teachers were traditionally trained tea
chers who had emergency courses lasting less than a year-in
27
one state the retraining period was three.months!
Was the enormity of the problem of training teachers not
recognised prior to independence? While all those concerned
with the future of Basic education had recognised the necessity
■of a new bree of teachers, .it. was the Sargent Report entrusted
with the responsibility of suggesting new concrete and viable
plans for. its implementation, which delineated the implications
of the concept of Basic education for teacher training. It noted
that the existing output of traditional training institutions
could barely keep up with the number of teachers who left the
profession, and examined the implications of rapidly expanding
'a qualitatively superior and different model of education in
terms of the requirements for a large number of new training
institutions with special Basis trained staff. It calculated
that it would ta e about thirty-five years from the opening of
new Basic training institutions to provide fully trained Basic
teachers.to man the nation’s schools, Due to thes"aompelling
reasons" for profiding the necessary "quality training" (two
year) for Basic teachers, the Sargent Report predicted that it
.would take thirty to forty years to establish universal free
and compulsory eduction on.- the Basic pattern-for children .bet
ween the ages of 6-14 years.28
While event have proved that even the Sargent Report was
far too optimistic about the time-period required to implemtnt
the Constitutional directive,- the. report which received consider
able publicity was criticised principally on the basis that it
envisioned the spead of universal elementary education over
too long a period.
fifteen years.
The 1950 Kher Committee cut it down to
Even that was too long for the fHamers of the
Constitution did,, was to evolve a viable and laternative plan
to the Sargent Report, indicating the necessary steps and
13
finances required to produce the number of trained Basic tea
chers who would man the nation's schools in the shortened period
that was now set for universal elementary education. This i ■
omission was all the more surprising considering that a radical
model of education was to be Implemented on a mass scale.
Moreover, all who were involved in the framing fend the initial
experimental implementation of the scheme prior to independence
were fully aware of the existing conditions of elementary tea
chers and training institutions, and were convinced that a
special type of teacher and training was absolutely necessary
for the successful implementation of the scheme.
This problem could not be wished away or avoided after
indidepndence when it become clear that this exotic breed of
teachers was required in large numbers to implement the new
model of education on a mass scale.
But neither could the
problem be solved by converting existing traditonal training
colleges.
These institutions were not capable of imparting
adqquate training and neither were the general run of teachers
capable of implementing their pfofessional training in the class
room.
Conferences and committee sugggested a variety of practical
and impractical steps to stem the rot of poor teaching in the
classroom
What was, however, not confronted squarely in the search
for answers Was that therewas no practical solution. I mplementation was -bound to be poor and run into intractable' problems
since it was a logical consequence of an unrealistic view of
the .capacities of an average elemntary teacher, and an utopain
concept of good teaching.
Such teachers and teaching are simply
not found in any country on a mass scale, leave a one a country
like India where the salaries and status of elementary school
teachers do not attract many talented young men and women. *
Even talented youn men and women would find it difficult
to aope with expecations that they be accomplished: craftsmen and
craft teachers, accomplished pedagogues who aould teach a variety
of subjects, and Imaginatively link them as far as possible
to the craft and'the natural and social environment.
Moreover,
they were expected to bededicated social workers who could ■
carry out with their student various constructive school and
community projects
It was not the implementation (Poor tea
ching and teachar traininq. lack of finances, etc.)
. . It .was-daring to evolve thfefreticalu.y & soneur. w.i-'.mi
'partially or substantially finance mass education on the returns
from the sale of crafts produced by young children which had
hitherto never been attempted in any other part of the world
However, it should have been abandoned, as the schooling model
■■•of the future when, immediately after indepndence, the evidence
confirmed the pre-independehce feedback on experimental Basic
schools, that it was not financially a model that India aould
nfford if it was to be serious about expanding rapidly on
limted resources its elementary schools.
Despite this overwhelming evidence, the government continued
its' efforts for a good number of years to expand Basic education
though the rising costs did put a break on the potential for
its exapnsion„
Moreover, the shortage of funds made it impossible
toprovide even the minimum.requirments for either Basic or
Traditional elementary schools.
The financial crunch was
reflected in theuniyersal "and'” perennial complaint of Basic
educators in post-independence Ifidia^ that the vas majority
of Basic schools were not provided wit’h' adequateT'l'and, "accommo—
, dation, craft equipment, rar materials and books.3
In this connection, the Sub-Committee of the nationa
board of basic educati :n (1963^ laid down in its report certain
minimum conditions for a Basis school. These included the
followings an integrated course of seven or eight years, pro
vision for one Basic craft• equipment for a class of 30, RslOO
per year for purchase of raw materials, half to one acre fox-
all schools for kitchen and flower gardening, five acres of
iffigated land for senior Basic schools which practised agri
culture as the main craft for which ®2,000 was to be.provided
if necessary, Rs500 for a small library with an additional
■ annual; amount of..Rs 50.,.-. and a minimum annual expenditure of
32
Rs60.: for the. programme of, cultural and -recreational activites’..
The fact that at about the same time that these minimum
guidelines were laid down, only Rs5 per child was provided for
equipment for evey new school highlighted the absurdity of
these recommendations. Often even this amount which was expeeted
to cover items including furniture, teaching aids, craft cj-. equipment, books, ect., could not be provided!33 In contrast,
merely the .initial cost of providing the craft equipment, as
recommended by the Sub_Committee, worked out to a little more
than Rs 8 per child. Its recommendations that a minimum pro
vision of half to one acre fo.r kitchen anf flower gardening,
16
•which wcs...q±: fault. These were merely the Iggical consequence
of a conceptual frume-work which placed extraordinary demanus
on teachers' and an utopian notion of good teaching which only
guaranteed that it would be implemented poorly on. a mass scale.
Its theroretical deficiencees-the ’original sin" of Basic
education-precluded redemption regardless of the intentions and
efforts' of those! involved in implementation to win salvation.
iv. Central to the concept of Basic education was its
self-support aspect. It was clearly and in appropriate mdel of
mass elementary education for Inida when it turned out to be
more expensive than it literary counterpart which the country
could not afford.
-•Basic teachers were paid in some cases higher salaries than —
their traditional counterparts to attract better' teachers.
This
merely aggravated the problem of the higher costs of Basis
education without a significant change in the quality of teaching.
Gandhi ji. had considered that the fundamental-"the acid
tes"—and novel feature of this scheme of education was that
most of its expenses . (specifica ly the teachers’ salaries) would
be met by the sale of handicraft over the entire seven-year
course of Basic education.
This wasmo.dified by the Wardha
Education Conferencce which ejqpressed the hope that " this system
of education will gradually be able to cover the teacher sala,..29
lies.
The self—support aspect of the scheme was. considered
utopian by the Sargent Report which noted that atmost what the
country could, expect was that craft sales- would cover the
cost of the materials and^equipment.
In i'ts actual implementation, Basic schools as a whole turned
opt to be far more expensive than the traditional schools.
The.
handicrafts produced by young children and adolescents, taught.
by inadequately traine 1 teachers, could hardly compete in the
open market with the superior work of professional artisans.
The poor returns fr m the'handicrafts, in some cases, could
barely cover the cost of materials andmaintenance of craft
equipment, while in other .it did not.
Moreover, Basic schools
required greater investment in terms of provision .of accoummodation and equipment, and a larger provision of trained teachers
3C
to satisfy the requirements of good pedagogy and smaller classes.
...15
—-p^ced'with.ihe-embarrassing reality that Basic schools were
more expensive than their traditional counterparts and the
ensuing criticism, the most un Gandhian counter argument was
forwarded by Basic educators and government officials that
qualitiative changes did not come cheap.And provided certain
minimum expensive conditons were implemented, as for example
recommended by the 1952 Pires-Lakhani Report, the 1956
Assessment Committee Report and the 1963 Sub-Committee Report,
it would prove to be a mass model of "quality" education.
But
this was a complete reversal of the views and intentions of
those who initially conceived of the schme.
Gandhiji, the
• ■.Zakir Husain Committee and all the early supporter of Base
education wre unequivocally explicit that one of the dhief
claims of the Basic pattern to be considered as the model
of mass elmentary education was that it was not only better
but cheaper than than the traditional schools.
In fact
the necessary ebnditon of its being better was that it was
cheaper.*
It should be emphasised that, with few exceptions, the
entire educational establishment and not merely Basic educators,
defended the poor record of the implement aBasic educa
tion with arguments which in some cases incorporated extraordi-
narily un Gandhian perspectives, . A prime example of one such
view was expressed by the Central Advisory Board in 1952
after .deliberating over the pires-Lakhani Report.
This report
had established categoricallly that no basic school in India
was consistently remotely close to self-sufficiency.
The
CABE noted that "the element of craft work in Basic education
is of such educational importance that even if no economic
consideration were involved, it is neccessary to replace
ordinary primary education by Basic education in a planned
manner.
The problem of finances however could not be indefinitely
wished away. The shoestring budget allocated for the expansion
of elementary schools could not be reconciled with promoting
them on a mass scale on the potentially superior Basic pattern
The important point to be made was that the confict was not '
between quantity and quality. Both the demands for quantita-
tive and qualitative, expansion could have been resolved if a
more appropriate and r^i,j.stic view of quality had. been
conceived. The dilemma that was impossible to resolve was the
provision of necessary human and sinancial resources on a mass
— 18
fivo -acres-of..irrigated, land for senior Basic agricultural schoqls,
and workshops attached to all Basic schools which practised
crafts other than agriculture, reflected a similar surrealistic
vision. For even by 1973-74,. less than 20 per cent of our
primary schools a had sufficient number of rroms to accommodate
their students, and only about 50 per cent had pucka schoocbbuildings.
As for agricultural land, less than a quarter of
rural primary schools had farming land, and that too comprising
a mean-area of about a quarter acre. 34
Strapped for funds to expand elementary education, the government
found it impossible to provdide even the a bare minimum facilities
for the majority of its existing elementary schools, and because
of its commitment to expand Basie education, it spent more mongy
on it than the traditional schools. Basic schools were, despite
this additional expenditure, comparatively worse off in terms
of facilities than their literary counterparts in the sense
that their minimum requirements were far greater.
As a logical
consequence of its idelogical framework and expectations, Basic
0
education' required dertain minimum utopian conditons to be
fulfilled for its survival which the country simply could not
afford on a mass scald. Consequently, any implementation was
bound to be unsuccessful.
Between the: 1952 Pires-Lakhani Report on the aspects of
self-support in Basic education and the 1963 Sub-Committee Report
the notion of moving towards self-sufficiency had to be given up
when confronted with actural realities. The expectations of
economic return from sale of craftwork reached its nadir when
the latter report realistically admitted that it could not
mention " what the income might be during the. eight years of
the full course because whatever is produced should go to meet
W
at least a part of the expense of school uniforms and noon
i
meals
."n35
Taken together with the .reort's recommendations on minimum
facilities for Basic schools, this statement reflected the fact,
which had been universally accepted much earlier, that the fund
amental objective of Basic dduction of providing children
with occupational skills and the nation with a cheaper model
of elementary education was unrealistic. Partly to finesse the
growing criticism and doubts about its viability as the future pattern
of mass elementary education, it was now exclusively defended on
the premise that its enriehed cnrrd culvirn promised significant
36
qualitative changes.
17
-18Scale to implement the extraordinary qualitative changes
which would satisfy the minimum requirements of Sasic educati n ideology.
In this connection, Pandit Nehru was reported to a have sent
a message to the All India Basic
Educational Conference
held at Titabar in Assam indicating his misgivings.
If good basic schools were established everywhere all over
the country, and as a consequence post-basic education was
also provided for, the cost would run into many hundreds of
crores. In fact, it would be much than the total income
of the Government of India today.
It is patent that we can
not find this money and we have to think again, therefore
as to how to do this.^
Gandhiji, it should be reiterated considered self-supoort
the acid tost of its reality, to mean that the entire cost
of the school including the salary of the teacher would be
covered by the sale of craft goods.
An attempt was made by the education establishment to resol
ve this dilema by reorienting the strategy to one of the
institutionalising Basic education on a 'diluted1 but mass
scale. The chapters immediately following delineate this
attempt and its disastrous consequences for contemporary
elementary education.
Since the fundamental dilemma could
not be conceptually resolved, the new strategy solved nei
ther the problems of quantitiatiye nor qualitative expansion
In fact, it exacerbated some critical educational issues
by providing pseudo-solutions.
v. Since the objectives and content of Basic education were
deliberately and radically differ nt from its traditional
counterpart, it precluded access to .high stages of' educa
tion without fundamental and unacceptable changes in'its
educational ideology.
Since it precluded access to higher
stages of education it was an inappropriate model of mass
elementary education, leading, to its eventual failure since
it frustrated the aspirations of its more arnbitiousbefoefi
claries.
Basic education was conceived by Gandhiji to be the 'spear
head of a silent social revolution'-an integral part of his
national scheme of reconstruction.^ it was the chief instru
ment in promoting his vision of the new social order-a poli
tically and economically self sufficient, decentralised so-
cietyof village communities where non-violence, cooperation
non-acquisitiveness and a spiritual regeneration were
practised and not merely preached.
-19Howevor, it was clear that from the very beginning of
independence his view of development had been rejected, and
India was to proceed and move along different, if not west
ern, concepts of progress.
In the alternative path that
was chosen, and with the democratic commitment to expand
the educational system, education was perceived by them as
ses as a major avenue of social mobility.
Education had
always been perceived as the opportunity for personal ad
vancement in colonial India. But it was only in the w
twentieth century, and specially in post-independence India,
'with the unprecedented and uncontrolled expansion of educa-
rional facilities, that the iural masses for the first time
found the opportunity to avail themselves of it. For ambi
tious but poor rural illiterate parents, the dominant if
not the sole motive for keeping their children at school be
yond the primary stage, was that through education they
(especially sons) would be able to rise to positions which
had been closed, to the for lack of a formal degree. A pipe
dream for the many, but nevertheless a compelling vision.
Although Basic education was in theory qualitatively better
than it liter ary counterpatt and had been speciafically
designed to improve the kaxt lot of the rural masses, the
recipients were themselves not very keen on receiving its
bebefits - in fact it came in for a good deal of opposition
41
from tiie masses. ' This was almost entirely due to the fact
tnat children leaving Basic schools found it difficult to
get admitted into high schools, or to deep up with the aca
demic curriculum in these institutions. The mohsin report
had indicated that the academic attainment of Basic School
students was lower than the standards of children going to
traditional schools.
In Bihar, where a few post-basic (high)
schools were started, the state university authorities re
fused to recognise post-Basic
students unless they passed
the academic high school examination which they were inadew quately prepared to under.* It was not surprising that
those among the rural masses who wanted their chibdren to
get on in life were not keen on an education which xtxaw
threw obstacles and stymied their progress.
This is perhaps, apart from any other reason, primarily why
the whole experiment of Basic education collapsed. The rural.
masses who were supposed to benefit from it preferred the
'inferior' traditional education. And it is barking up the
wrong tree, as J.P.Natk did echoing a popularly held view
to acewso
.-..90
'tUo-trapcsx- -and? middle classes, especially the urban elite, of
non-acceptance of Basic education as being the single most impor
tant reason for its unsatisfactory progress. The specific factors
that J.P. Naik cited include the following: " apathy for manual
labour, fascination for book-centred literacy education, social
and psychological resistances to the introduction of manual
labour and productive work into the school curriculum."
The
urban ruling
*Whether the academic standards of Basic schools were inferior
or. not was a matter of great controversy,,... It would seem plausible
that all other things being equal, the acdemic standards of
Basic education were lower than it literary counterparts since the
former spent about half the school-day in practising craftwprki
Perhaps more important was the act that Basic schools were
perceived to have inferior academic standards.§2
classes can be blamed for many things, but not for the failure
o.f Basic education since it was rarely tried out in urband
areas as its principal thrust was rural uplift.
All.such fascination for literacy education and social and
psychological resistances would have vanished overnight for all
classes in Indian society, if the situation had been reversed,
and had Basic education become the sole avenue for access to
higher levels of education, and consequently access to the
leaves and fishes of office.
If standing on one's head for a
hour isofficialy laid down as an -essential requirment for admission
to college, then not only will all schools and coaching classes
rush to implement it in their curriculum, but one can be sure that
many from the ruling classes will provide special tutors for their
children to make' assurance doubly sure that they will pass this
or any such entrance requirement.
But since it was Basic and not traditonal education which
hampered or precluded access to higher levels of education, its
rural "beneficiaries" were either apthetic'or hostile toit.
The populist criticism which began after independence and hs con
tinued till today whinch-views the apathy or the deliberate machi
nations of the elite as one of the most important factors for the
.
44
slow progress or even failure of Basic education is misguided.
On the contrary, frm the viewpoint of the rural masses, an
entirely different and more compelling argument codld be an was
presencted.
Prom this perspective, Basic education was being deliberately
propagated and given maximum encouragement by the-ruliner cl*ss<=s,
including the-urban—based educational pol-icy framers, Basic
.^^tion.^s^oou-fo^-othur. people's children, the ruling classes
sent their own children to traditional schools and assured them- .
selves of the ensuing social and economic;-benefits. By. ..-deliberately
^.spSreadMncpBasic'1 edueationsa-lmO-st.'-i'.excius.ivelyd'in •nirai'iareas^x they
lessened the threat of competition from bright rural children for
.-access-, to- higher- levels--of education^-Morestyer^ such., a-i^plicy
served the class interest of the ruling elite since itinstitu
tionally legitimatisgd keeping the rural" masses, in -their, place
■ as hewers of wood and drawers of water. .... De.spifce the concerted
efforts pf/the-ruling classes, it was-the vigilappp, and-. oj)positiori
•of the rual masses to the schme which retarded it progress and
hence 'minimosed its. disastrous consequences .for them. .-This ^perspective was host dlearly artlouT'arted in Tainiih Nadu
■ ’
■'
- - -‘
d .
:swhen RajagopalacKari/ ah ardent protagonist of Basic- educac.^iont
ihtroudeed a'modified version of the- patter in.1953 during the
+ -i^i^ure.gas.'-tjhQ: Qifef 'T^i^fste'r 'pf..'Madr^S:.':S.tate^nby^p-)asr,‘3^e' Madras
Scheme. cf-'-Elemen-tcirf-'education. The- .resulting state-wide ' . political-opposition.to /this schema,which inluded members -from
I
"Within the congress party, led eventually to his resignation
,in the .following year.
. The.unitn features of the scheme included reducing thenumber
of hours of instruction in Standards I-V from six to three hours
..which were to be confined to the academic subjects. Teachers
... ...were, however, to work on a shift wystern teaching two batches
of students daily. Besides the academia programme, a compulsory
■ and integral aspect of the scheme-.was the expectation that
children would be engaged in .socially useful-productive work
+.ha r-.amad.nder- of• the school—day-. Thay-wore toedo-/tnanuaT
- . .work and learn the traditional cuQ£t occupations from their
parents or from other craftsmen, in the village. It was recom-
•
mended that a village; school council would guide-these -compulsory
activities--outside’.of the'three hour academic programme.45
From the perspective of Rajagopalachari and those who supported
this scheme, it was an attmept to implement the directive of the
.... Constitution and at the same time promote Basic Education which
•\had almost come to a standstill in the state of madras. The
recourse to a shift system and reducing the hours of instuction
was an attempt in the right direction to take care of the major
problems confronting both Basic and traditional schools. It was
an attempt to solve the acute financial problem faced by the State
by using the same teacher to teadh two batches of students.
♦ «22*. ..
’Tt m ,<^ -eudevoured to promote enrolment b shortening the
school-day so that children could work at home. This was, asnoted earlier, one of the major structural deficiencies of
Fainally, the scheme
nrr Basic and traditional institutions.
was expected to promote Basic education in that children would
learn their traditional crafts of the village from their parents
or crafts-men who were experts rather than from, as'Rajaji
observed, "a half-baked craft teacher made to order. " "
That the scheme which attempted to reconcile the shift
systerfi and Basic education and reap the advantages of both would
have floundered because it attempted co synthesise two Incom-
patibles has been argued earlier. The fact that it wasnot
• implemented on a mass scale stemmed from a political opposition
which -J?as not
ncern..d with
pedagogic?:. adv^nta-jes nut wj.un
-the conservative implicau.:.ons of Rajuji‘s propose.1..
for toe sche_
me wai to apply only to rural areas and excluded Basic institution
and’iurban schools.
From the perspective of therural masses, it
was axi attempt to keep them frozen in the caste structure and
traditional occupations while the children of their urban
counterparts would reap the social and economic benefits accruing
from a full-time education.
The resulting virulent opposition,
which in the context of the politics of the region took on
Brahmin versus non-Brahmin overtones, led to the eventural resig
nation of Rajagopalachari.
—-—It_should be—reiterated that it was the conservative
implications of Basic education and not any specific aspect
of the content of the programme or the poor performance of the
majority of Basic schools which accounted for the atitudes of its
intended rural beneficiaries.
With the more ambitious rural
partents' especially, the concern was with the consequences and not
the intrinsic worth of the training recived by their Kusum Nair’s
Blossoms in the Dust. It should be noted that following com
ments, attributed to the Harijans of Sevagram> were made in con
nection with the model and perhaps the best Basic school in the
country which was located at sevgram ashram, the headquarters
of the Hindusthan Talim Sangh responsible for the propagation
of Basic education:
As for 'basic education' of which sevgram ashram is the
centre, they say with unconcealed contempt: "We do not
send our children to the ashram school beyond the fourth
class(i.eprimary junior basic level) because those who pass
out of Nai Talim cannot get Jobs. So our boys go to Wardha
rationale fox its introduction in urban arcus . apart. rr.>m the
’educative', but prohibitxely expensive, possibilities inherent
town; they walk the four miles to study in a conventionux school.
They have to leave early in the morning to reach it on time.
We don't want to remain tillers of the soil for ever.
We also
want to become lawyers and doctors. Nai Talim is no good for
that " is their explanation. 47
It should be emphasised that even at the heyday of Basic
education, most rural childrennattended traditional schools which
existed in far larger numbers.
The revolt against Basic educ
ation by the rural masses come fr:>m the perception not merely
that urban children were receiving a different education, but
that closer to home most rural children, who did not drop out • ' \
and were in traditional schools, were in a position to receive
the benefits of higher education denied to those who were atten
ding Basic sdhools, .
And herein lay the dilemma for Basic education asit has w
been for any radical educational reform which has been attempted
in India' or abroad. How far can any new pattern of schooling
deviate from -the traditional schools when what the latter
teacher by way'of content and skills is tested, certified and
considered the necessary and sufficient condition for access to
higher levels of educations? The dilemma could not be overcome
because Basic education could not serve both God and Mammon,
For,, if it was to provide access to higher levels of education
it would have had to give up completely its conceptual and
philosophical framework and be a mere variation and not a radical
alternative to the traditional system.
And unable by the radical
nature of its fundamental principles and objectives to comyr^Lse
without endangering it immortal soul, it went the way of all J.
laudable schemes of radical educational reform which .failed
to resolve this critical impasse.
This issue was even more impervious to solutions in the
case of Basic education for.it lay at the very core of the
Gandhian vision of an india of frugal, industrious and virtuous
villagers living cooperatively and contentedly with their simple
•pursuits of agriculture and crafts.
In such a scheme of things,
Basic eduction was' to inculcate youth with the necessary
knowledge and attitudes for healthy communal living, and provide
them with the occupational skills in a araft which in addition
. ..24
^-&r'ricultural. Labour would make them self-reliant and selfsupporting adults. Consequently,the objectives, philosophy and
functions of Basic education were diametrically opposed to the
dominant preception of education as an avenue of social mobility
To recapitulate the major arguments-Basic education was
inappropriate as a model of mass elementary education because
its conceptual framework precluded it from being implemented on
a mass scale and prevented it from creatively tackling the
major problems confronting the traditional system of elementary
eduction.
The conceptual framework necessitated eight years or
full-time schooling, small teacher-pupil ratios, and.extra
ordinarily highly trained' teachers which the country was not
capable of producing enmas.se.
This, in dddition to.the capital
and maintenance costs of craft equipment, raw materials
larger schools, raised the costs of education.
and
These expendi
tures were not offset appreciably by the saleof handicrafts, made
it more expensive than the traditional system, and effectively
cut short any potential it had for becoming a model of mass
education. In addition, the concept of good teaching was too
great a burden on the capacities of average teachers, and
hence doomed any implementation to failure.
Moreover, Basic education could not, by the very nature
of its structure and duration, attack creatively the problems
of increasing enrolment, decreasing dropouts and wastage
which
were the key weaknesses of the traditional system.
Nor
could it provide a solution to the problem of the single teacher
rural schools.
Though a model of mass elementary education, it
could ironically only be afforded by the fortunate few among
the rural masses who could afford full-time schools and a
programme of eight years duration. Moreover, these students
found their path to higher levels of education blocked because
the conceptual framework of Basic education was too radically
different from its literary counterpart.
Thus it could not be
dovetailed with higher levels of education without completely
compromising its fundamental tenets.
— 25
Finally, it was an inappropriate model of mass elementary
education to have been adopted'because it was integral part of
the Gandhian view of development which was rejected at the
very outset of independence.
It was a fundamental contradic
tion to reject, the Gandhian view of development but yet retain
Basic education which was the spearhead of hrs silent social
revolution,
We institutionalised
model of mass elementary
education instead of questiong its raison d'etre in a India
which consciously adopted a view and .strategy of development
which was almost in total opposition to Gandhian ideology.
CH
qqi
AN EXPERIMENT IN EDUCATION AND SELF EMPLOYMENT
Padmaja. Rani - Chetana Vikas
A little raised platform in a tent,
A magic show being
performed on stage.
- A knife is used to cut a lime and the knife instantly
reddens as if’dipped in blood.
- A handerkerchief is set aflame, but the fire burns out
and the handkerchief remains the same.
Hunderds of eyes in the audience gaze in surprise and
disbelief. Only this time it is different. After every
such magic performance, the magician explains the 'how'
and 'why( of each item.
The' mystery vanishes as the ex
planation -proceeds.
This 'magic show' aimed at removing superstitions and'
developing a scientific attitude was only one of the many
programmes in the festival arranged by Chetana vikas for
the village children of the three Earn and Learn Centres.
Chetana.Vikas, a voluntary agency, working in the 35 vil
lages of the Wardha District of Maharashtra with a com
prehensive and integrated approach believes that develop
ment and consciousness’raising should go together and lead
to one another.
The various activities include child
development through creches and balwadis, adult education,
cultural programmes for mass education, women's
program
mes, work amongst landless labour, agricultural .program
mes for small and marginal farmers.
Into this stream
of varied’activities the Earn and Learn Centres are the
latest addition.
In Maharashtra the literacy rate is 47.02% (1981 census)
and almost every village has got a primary school. But
the survey conducted in our villages showed that there
were 25-30 working, non-school going illiterate children
of the age group 10-15 years in each village. Most of
these being working children, it was unpractical and
impossible to think of alternative day schools■ unless
there was some earning activity associated with the
school.
COMMUNITY HEALTH CELL
47/1. (First Floor) St. Mprks Road,
Bangalore - 560 001,
-2-
And as these children had no work for about three - four
months in a year, learning new skills of self-employment
also acquired new dimensions and importance.
The survey
revealed that hand spinning on-Amber Charkhas and tailor
ing could be viable activities for children.to pursue
throughout the year along with their learning activities.
Yet another thing which we thought worth considering was
the high macrolevel and microlevel illiteracy rates and
school drop-out rates for women. Their employment poten
tial for skilled labour was very low which lead to lower •
income and wages, longer periods of unemployment and lower
bargaining power. All these factors-cut women off from
the development process.
The Basic _C one ept
All these findings helped to develop the basic concept:
- this experiment would be for rural children of ages IQ15 years who have never been .to school or have left for
social, economic and/or cultural reasons.
would be working children.
Most of them
- emphasis would be on the erirollment of girls, thus help
ing to bring them- into the mainstream of development.
- emphasis would be on learning while earning or develop
ing new skills of employment through spinning-and tailor
ing activities, thus assuring them regular and in
creased wages.
The curriculum would aim to:
'
■
- coach the children reach upto the fourth standard of
the formal schooling within 2-2-g years. The methodology
would have to be innovative and improved..
- equip children to face life by incorporating socially
productive and practically useful activities and sub
ject areas like agriculture and health.
- raise their social consciousness and critical think
ing power.
- develop their scientific attitude and perspective
in life.
- develop their creative skills and talents through -art
and crafts.
-3-
- increase status of women in society economically, social
ly and culturally and make them more self confident,
fearless and vocal.
The Beginning
The centres started functioning in October 1983 in three
villages Ajangaon, Borgaon and Lonsavali.
Total number of
enrolled children were 85, out of which 81% were girls.
The age group was 10 to 17 years. Children's occupation
varied from household work to grazing cattle and agri
culture.
Most of the children earned Rs,3-4- daily.
In all our programmes we wanted the village level workers
to be from the same villages, so that they were not 'out
siders'. But here we faced problems. Looking at the
large number of girls as students,•the'teacher will have
to -be a woman.'- She should- have basic intelligence:, in
terest to work with children and enthusiasm to try out
new things. Perhaps it might help to have a formal train
ing in education and .teaching. She should know tailoring
also so that she can take charge of both the earning and
learning activities.
It was difficult to get such persons
from-the villages itself.
We got one teacher from the•
same village.and'for the other two centres teachers had”
to be brought from cutside.
Two women, one of them un
married, offered to come and stay in these villages.
All the three teachers were:.educated Upto standard 10,
two were trained and diploma, holders-.in; primary teaching -
and. all ^formally -trained. in tailoring.
A reading.list.of good books on developmental education
and teaching was prepared. One of the three teachers
spent time on self study and reading of these books. A
10 day initial training camp was arranged for all these
teachers.
Learning activity
For learning activity all-the-school, subjects of the for
mal system like the ..mother tongue. Marathi, Mathematics,
Science, Geography, History and Civics were of course,
included. We tried to .improve upon available materialto
-U-
■■■
■■.
■ • :
>'/. ■
■ .--I' .
.■
- J
,suit tqur own.-loGal environment, ....The .teachers pyei/ar.^
alphabet- pards,^number ..car,4^
on
5^X9^;jam
literacy._
........ t, ?
.
..... . ; i ■_.;..
_4f
fl.;
Apart-from- this'-jCwe- ihcJorppr-at&d 'SubjectPlli^e^health-,:. .p
agrieulture ’and social-'.awSren'ess-; ynchave .beenytrying.f
;
_to evolve- our own. syllabus ’Shd- ■topic's:7 of. sstadyc ernxi
We .plan to. integrate. -the topics. of study with our. on-
going field experiments and programmes.
Since the last
to... y oeuce<:thely^ovffl;,hy^.:■
yeanff^rin^rs^yr^
brid notton se^^^^^'^yalisyd >rpey./
*1
A,. .^y.pgXyf.SM
th-l. w-:w< ■ a W-P 7
Though -^,e.^anted:3tp,,-incorp.or.a.te-,-the, ,sp.ci.a,4 p^a,^enesvs com---.
ponent in the curriculum/ we.were no.t very.much sure
whether the .involved.., age ..group .would, be- interested in
the.:c.Qnteny-and-;.could.^gnasp,, ,its.'- : dimens,ioi^s,.in.-, our eadul,t.^.
education programme earlier/-.'ofucourse,, {We ;have .prepared,..
our own primer rn hhe local dialect- and used pictures as
well as- photographs ■'•’fpi? starting group.,discussions1 leading
to literacy.
One such, lesson was 'The Kings of Democracy'
In the.’puzzle. of..elections’-, They fold hands
They tell us that we are kings/'
After they, are .elected -
We fold^ h'arius before them
They rule,.us.
And behave. aS if they are kings.
’
We can control them
Only if the reins are ina our‘hand's
We are wondering whether the children can digest this sort
of lesson and whether the subject matter is too serious
and drab for their age.
During this time we came into
contact with SEARCH, -Bangalore and 'went through their kit
on environment education materials designed to increase
social awareness among school students. This- attracted
us and though the materials were basically meant for
urban children, we decided to modify- them and. experi-.
ment with rural nh-tld-ren..
-5-
We have selected topics like education, employment problems
pollution, status of women, poverty, superstitions.,economic
exploitation, what is fate and can we change it. But this
is only the. beginning. The greater task of preparing, and
compiling materials - pictures, photographs, slides, songs
is yet to be started.
Earning Activity
After one year, the children now can cut, and stitch ladies
clothes on the sewing machine. They have just started
on the men's clothes. The teacher draws the figures on
the board, marks the measurements and explains to the
children.
They draw the figures in their note-books.
children are taught embroidery stitches also.
The
They used
old clothes brought from their homes to learn. After that
cloth was provided by Chetana Vikas. The finished clothes
were sold at the cost of the cloth plus 50% of the pre
valent stitching rates.
In spinning, the initial two months were considered as
training period and all the children were given a daily
stipend of Rs.1.50. After that children were paid at the
month-end according to their output. The children earn
ed upto Rs.2 daily -(in four working hours.).
After four
months the spinning wheels werd given.to the children
at their homes so that other family members also could
participate in spinning during their leisure hours. For
this activity, a man from the Village was selected as the
spinning instructor, and given six months' training in
spinning and repairs-cum-maintenance of the wheels.
How can you Participate?
At this juncture I would like to emphasise on.two points.
Initially we had planned this as .a 2-2-g years project
and only one year has passed. It is being developed and
evolved slowly. So many concepts are yet to be trans
formed into action and field testing.
I have tried to
briefly convey some of these concepts and the.evolu
tion of the experiment so far.
Secondly, we would like the readers to be active parti
cipants instead of silent spectators.
We do not want
you to read this and forget about it.
We would like
you to be contributors and project partners who can
help to evolve the whole thing by:
- sending us your comments and suggestions
- sending us any material, pictures, photographs, games
or ideas which would help to evolve the curriculum
and introduce new methodology.
To
CH 5-3
Human rights march
by s>®et eMdow
From Our Staff Reporter
and would be free from government dictum. It
would an autonomous body and truely a peo
'
NEW DELHI,
While lawyers and academicians addressed ple's organisation, he said.
symposiums explaining in detail what human
Justice Mishra dispelled the notion of the
rights were and how these were to be respected Commission's limited sphere of functioning and
by governments, various groups held demonstra said it should be given enough time to prove its /
tions and took out marches to mark the Human effectiveness. The Commission, he said, would;
Rights Day today.
have the expertise of four judges and a former
Hundreds of street children took time off from under secretary general of the U.N
their working hours and marched to Ferozeshah
Referring to the issue made out by the United
Kotla grounds to demand their rights to educa States
over alleged human rights violations in In
tion, shelter and food.
dia, Professor K P. Mishra said that America'
Ragpickers, shoeshine boys, dhaba workers, must set its own house in order before pointing
coolies — the boys and girls met in the after finger at other countries. America, he said, was
noon at Bal Sahyog in Connaught Place from subjective and suspiciously selective in
where in a procession they wound their way pressurising countries on the issue. While it
through the traffic maze of New Delhi and reach made such a big noise over alleged happenings
ed Ferozeshah Kotla grounds.
in some countries, it never even mentioned some
Organised by the NGO Forum for Street and other countries who had a bad record in human
Working Children, the march was aimed at rights. Mr. Mishra said human rights were well 1
drawing the attention of the people and the gov-> enumerated in the Indian Constitution — some- j
ernment to the existence of street children and; thing which no other constitution did.
their rights as workers. The Forum had earlier
this year filed a writ petition in the High Court
seeking registration of Bal Mazdoor Union, a
union of child workers.
The petition had been dismissed in the court
on the grounds that Indian Trade Union Act did
not allow any person below the age of 15 to join
or form a union. The Forum then filed a special
writ petition in the Supreme Court regarding the
matter bringing to the notice of the court a provi
sion in the U. N. Convention of Rights of the
Child wherein any child has a right to form an
association.
Elsewhere in the Capital symposiums were
held to mark the Human Rights Day. Addressing
one such seminar, the chairman of the Human
Rights Commission, Justice Ranganath Misra
said the commission would act independently
GH 8-10
"Beat the Street"
MAYA®
A six day workshop with street boys
Movement for Alternatives and Youth Awareness
208, Commerce House, 9/1, Cunningham Road, Bangalore 560 052
INTRODUCTION
The children we meet on the streets come from a variety of different backgrounds. There are.
slum children, bonded children and those who have migrated to the city with their parent's full
knowledge. In some case, the children leave homes when living conditions have become
unbearable because of poverty, abuse, death of one or both parents, desertion, alcoholism,
unsuitable conditions for education and sometimes even a trivial argument leads to a child
leaving his family.
All of these children have a tendency to quit jobs when conditions become intolerable or they
find better opportunities elsewhere. This invariably leads them to the streets where they find
work picking rags, carrying loads, selling inexpensive items and other such non-formal
employment.
They are constantly exposed to new and difficult situations which demand complex defense
machinisms to help them survive daily hazards such as police harassment, street fights, couriers
for drug peddlers and pimps and the constant threat of the little wages they earn being stolen.
They become mistrustful, independent and self-reliant, rarely forming close relationships with
non-street people.
The barriers and attitudes which are formed on the street, make it difficult for the boys to adjust
to a formal work environment they no longer have the freedom of the streets, their wages are
paid monthly instead of daily and they are constantly under supervision.
We selected the boys who consistently showed up to our preliminary meetings and who were
clear about their plans for the future. This workshop has been designed to break down their
defense mechanisms, through both intense psynotherapy and rigorous physical exercises - giving
them a space in which they can release their pent up anxieties and frustrations and express
their hopes and ambitions for the future.
We set out to prepare the boys for the challenges ahead of them. This report shows how the
workshop was conducted, how the boys grappled with the workshop and the outcome of our
efforts.
STRUCTURE OF THE WORKSHOP
The workshop was spread over six days from 7th to 12th June 1992 and comprised of two major
sections.
The first part of the workshop (7th - 9th June 1992) was organised at the Indian Social Institute (ISI),
Benson Town, Bangalore.
They boys arrived at the ISI at 8.30 a.m. On arrival they were enrolled for the workshop. They were
then given basic necessities like soap, a brush and a pair of shoes each. They were then introduced
to the workshop and given a frame work of rules within which to operate during the workshop. Subsequent
to the introduction the boys underwent a thorough medical checkup, Dr. K.N. Prasad and Dr. Giri
examined the boys recorded their case history and also prescriptions if any. The doctors also spoke
personally to each boy about general health and hygeine. The doctors also had detailed discussions
with us about the importance of not only the medical checkup but also the follow- up.
The belongings of the boys were then checked for any charas, ganja, beedies, cigarettes and any other
undesirable things and when found, such things were taken away and kept safely. The boys were then
allotted rooms.
Dr. Prasad examining Venkatesh before the workshop begins.
G.N.N. Prasad interacting with boys.
The ice begins to melt.
The first part of the workshop consisted primarily of psychoanalytical sessions with the boys, conducted
by two experienced resource persons, with the main purpose of allowing the boys to explore themselves
and discover their strengths and weaknesses, besides providing us with a deep insight into their past,
and more so the conditions which led them to take to streets.
The carefully planned class room sessions were intended to instigate the boys to respond and interact
spontaneously and in this process inadvertently come out with their pent up feelings and bottled up
frustrations. All efforts were directed at creating a space - a safe and secure environment for the boys
to confide or confess about the things they do and the situations they encounter in their daily struggle
for survival. This part of the workshop is designed to highlight the boy's present abilities and institute
some confidence in those abilities which are needed for the future course of their lives.
In between the intensive classroom interactive sessions, the boys also participated in various exercises
and games. These were especially designed to build up their level of trust.
In order to instill in them some sense of discipline, which is the all important part of any formal training
of employment, meditation was used as an important part of their daily routine. Most of this part of the
workshop was tailor made to suit the needs of the boys.
As the workshop progressed, the boys overcame their natural reserve on talking about themselves. One
by one the boys opened up and started sharing with the group their experiences, aspirations, feelings
and innermost thoughts. Since much emphasis was placed on relationships in these sessions, the boys
were able to critically view their relationship with their family. There was a gradual build up of trust and
confidence in the boys and soon they began speaking openly about their relationships with family
members.
For many, sharing in a group was cathartic, enabling them to touch upon long suppressed feelings. By
the
end of the session, most boys seemed inclined to hold none but themselves responsible for all
their actions including their present condition; and most boys felt a need to overcome their inconsistency
and instability, to take up formal training and employment diligently and to get back to their families.
All the boys shared their hopes for the future. Most boys spoke about their parents expectations. As the
boys got more involved in the process of self enquiry, they were able to explore their own potential and
view their expectations realistically. All the boys expressed a strong need to be respected as people, to
have the listening ear of an adult mentor and to have their views valued.
Interacting with Ansar
A moment for thought
Trust game - A stimulating exercise.
The second part of the workshop (10th - 12th June 1992) was organised at the Nataraja Gurukula
Nature Awareness and Adventure Training Academy near Mukkodlu village, about 40 Km. from
Bangalore, off Kanakpura Road.
It consisted of rigorous physical activities like rock climbing, trekking, river crossing, countering obstacles,
grappling etc and also the various group activities like cooking, mass tree planting and some cultural
activities.
This part of the workshop was designed to help the boys shake off their strong belief in their physical
limitations. Since the psychological and physical characteristics of people are integrated, the boys
underwent intensive physical training to push them to their physical limits. The main objective of this
exercise was to give the boys the necessary frame of mind and physical conditions to take up a job
in the future.
dtt 450
035 AS
Why should we trust other people ? Solomon w'h the boys.
CASE HISTORY
Suresh (not his real name) came to Bangalore when he was 11 years old. He came from a small village
in Karnataka 260 kms from Bangalore. He says his mother was killed by his father when he was 7
years old. He has one sister older to him and two younger to him.
He is now 15 years. His goal; to take care of his sisters and to avenge his mother’s death, by killing
his father if he can. He wants to torture his step mother who tortured him, for which he had to leave
home and lead this life in the streets of Bangalore. He’s been to primary school for a few days in month
for almost a year. He can read some Kannada with difficulty.
Since the time he arrived in Bangalore he has been doing a variety of jobs. First he worked as a cleaner
in a Hotel in the city market area for 8 months. His health was ruined because of the filthy conditions
in which he worked and also that he was paid sometimes and sometimes not. He left the hotel after
a heated argument with the employer and worked as a' coolie in the city bus station for a few months.
This also had its own set of troubles, f.i. harassment by the police and other ‘registered’ collies who
had a license to work in the bus stand, but not working; instead they used the ‘new comers’ to work
for them. The new comers are supposed to give 50% of the money they earn to the license holder
who is constantly watching them, failing which may have serious consequences such as being beaten
blue or not allowed to ‘operate’ from the bus stand any more. Since there is stiff competition for bus
stand, Suresh found even this unbearable. While in the bus stand he was exposed to many new
experiences like drugs, alcohol, smoking, women, gambling and other street trades which one comes
across very often.
Being out of the bus stand, he finally went into Rag-picking. A trade where one can be certain to earn a
living. Even though a dirty job with lot of health hazards, it has a lot of freedom from employers and other
‘territorial masters'. The rules of survival are very different as in the case of the other forms of child labor.
List of Participants
NAME
AGE
PLACE OF ORIGIN
1.
MOHAN B.K
19 years
BOPPA SAMUDRA
2.
MAGGI.K
18 years
THATTANKOTAI
3.
ANSAR
17 years
BANGALORE
4.
VENKATESH
16 years
CHITHOOR
5.
RAJA
19 years
MALLUR PATNA
6.
SHIVA SHANKAR
18 years
SHAHPUR
7.
PRAKASH
22 years
SALEM
8.
WILSON
30 years
MADRAS
9.
KUMAR S.
17 years
BANGALORE
10.
SHANKAR C.
20 years
BANGALORE
11.
KRISHNA M.J.
20 years
KUNIGAL
12.
SHANKAR D.
22 years
BANGALORE
13.
RAGHAVENDRA G.
21 years
GAURIBIDDANUR
14.
MOHAMMAD HUSSIAN
17 years
HASSAN
15.
VENKATESH V.
19 years
BANGALORE
16.
MANJUNATH N.
17 years
TUMKUR
17.
SHANKAR R.
18 years
HOSKOTE
18.
BALA
20 years
BANGALORE
19.
GURUMURTHY
18 years
HASSAN
20.
RAJGOPAL
17 years
BANGALORE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We express our grateful thanks to :
Mr. D.A. Kazi, Himalaya Drug Co.
Mr. Jayashree Venkatraman, AMCO
Mr. S.N. Agarwal, Bharuka Steel Ltd.
Mr. Ravi Melwani, Kids Kemp
Mr. Shankar, Solar Automobiles
Mr. Sanjeev Shah, Rolton Bearings
Lynne Murguia
Mr. Philip George, Partners in Justice Concerns
Karnataka State Agro Corp Products Ltd.
Karnataka Power Corporation
Mr. Ashok Rao, Mandovi Motors
who contributed to make this workshop happen.
Our sincere thanks to Mrs. Padma and Mr. G.N.N Prasad of Prarambha
Mr. Ravi of Osho meditation centre and Guru Freddy, Nataraja Gurukula for being the resource persons.
Fr. Dominic of ISI for providing the venue.
Basco Yuvadaya and all our volunteers for their selfless work.
5.
FAMILY PLANNING EDUCATION:-
Women are mostly exploited due to illitercy, DEEDS conducts awakening
programme for mothers who not only have large size family due to
i rresponsible fahterhood but also force thei r children to work. DEEDS with
the help of Family Planning Association of India, organize various family
planning awareness programmes.
6. LEGAL CONGELLING DEEDS helps women in giving legal
councelling on various matters concerning them such as women's rights,
martial problems, dowry, property, job, child labour Act etc.,
7. ENVIRONMENT EDUCAT10N:DEEDS entering Io the area of environment education which our growing
children needs today. Italsoorganizes nature camps, nursery tree planting
exercises & Kitchen gardens.
DEEDS proceeds with an open-minded approach based on needs of the
people and has among its range of activities small group Economic
programmes for the mother of working children, Health services and
referrals and coordinating with Government and Non-Gcvemment
Organization.
DEEDS Looking forwardto helping oppressed people to find newmeaning,
a new understanding and new mornings from a life of want to one filled
with new promises.
In orderto address the worstevils of the presentday society, DEVELOPMENT
EDUCATION SOGETY (DEEDS) was established. Our main target group
is "Women & working Children". Our programmes are based on Nonformal education and training Women sangam, Sanitation, Environment,
Safe water, Community Health Education & Services, Promotion of
Nutrition garden, Formative age group, Childrens growth and development
of, Planned parenthood, Vocational training, Income Generating
Programmes etc., In all these programme /activities, ourMahila mandal
& Youth association are activity involved in the area of planning, Decision
making. Execution, Evaluation and Financial Management. Thus DEEDS
believe in people's participation and involvement fortheir own sustainable
development programme activities.
The longest journey starts with a single step. DEEDS has started its journey
with a single Step & hopes to reach the goal with the help of the people,
the Organization and the Government, by extending their support.
Therefore with much concern for the oppressed community, We appeal to
all those who have similar concern to help DEEDS by extending your
support in^any form. Your generous support can bring a sea of change in
every childlife & society at large.
DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION SOCIETY (Regd.)
FUTURE OF THE WORKING CHILD
Accordingly DEEDS has set its GOAL & formulated its OBJECTIVITIES.
For Further information please contact
Director/Project Co-Ordinator's
5/1 6th Main, S.K. Garden, Bangalore: 560 046.
Phone: 3331783.
.... Empowering People for
a Bright Tomorrow
DEEDS
An organisation which is a vision of few committed Individuals.
Development Education Society (DEEDS) was established in the year 1982
that mainly exists to help children's especially working one's & families,
communities &to bring new life through development and rehabilitation
services and secure improvement in the quality of their livilihood. Our
guiding commitment has been to improve the lot of the oppressed section
of society. To this DEEDS has a 4 pronged approach to address these main
evils which form the root cause of people's misery and act as bottle-necks
which hinder the development of the people, ie., Ignorance, ill-health,
poverty, & lack of vision.
of children /families and to come out in these vicious circle. DEEDS is one
of the few in the voluntary sectors that has ever 12 years experience in
children's education & development outside the formal school system.
ACTIVITIES:
1.
Working Children's Development Programmes :- The working
children are encouraged & taught at their convenient timings &
given worth educational inputs.
2.
Rehabilition :- NFE Children after some period were rehabilitated
to formal schooling while meeting their educational tools/supplies
and needs.
DEEDS............ THE GOAL
3.
DEEDS Support work from pre-Schooling level also.
Deeds has set for itself a very realistic and attainable
4.
Skill development & vocational trainings : Apart from the target
group of working childrens, DEEDS supports childrens in skilled
category by giving them vocational training in skills of their choice
like carpentary, Electrical etc along with Non formal educational
classes supported byihramikvidyapeeth.
5.
Awakening programme for mother's:- This time the focus is on to
the mothers of working children who not only have large family
due to irresponsible fatherhood butalso force children to go for work.
DEEDS mobilized all the mothers & form their associations to help
& educate them.
6.
Child's growth affected due to his family surroundings. DEEDS
believes in creating appropriate environment for this.
Goal "Helping people to help themselves"
DEEDS............ ITS MISSION
1.
Upliftment of working children's thru non-formal Education
& Vocational Training Programmes.
2.
Women Development & EDP Programmes.
4.
Mass & Adult education
5.
Family Planning Education.
6.
Legal councelling.
7.
Environment Education.
DEEDS............ ITS OBJECTIVES
To provide non-formal education to release the brain power of
the people to wipe out the ignorance.
To undertake multisectoral livelihood, health and develop
local leadership.
To plan, implement and evaluate action programmes meant
for the improvement of rural community as well as urban slums.
To cooperate and coordinate with government & voluntary
agencies in implementing developmental works in needy
areas.
To encourage the local people to undergo various training in
order to handle the programmes by themselves.
To encourage and assist self-starter group for voluntary
action in field of development.
DEEDS MISSION NO: 1
1,
UPLIFTMENT OF WORKING CHILDREN:-
Overview:- Poor source of income, large family, lllitercy, lack of access to
education are nowincreasingfy recognised as fundamental risk which gw
2. WOMEN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES:In order to equip women with some technical trainings, DEEDS organizing
various trainings such as EDP, Family planning, child care, Agarbathy &
doll making programmes. DEEDS strongly believes true development can
not be achieved if the womenhood is discriminated & ignored. By
organizing various EDP programmes forthem, DEEDS brings out her work
capacity in various forms which earns better income for them in a more
organised way.
3.
HEALTH, SANITATIONS & NUTRITION EDUCATION:-
Health, Sanitation is one of the primary concern for any Government DEEDS support & extend medical services four times a week. In most cases
where no hospitalexists,itorganizes service periodically while atthe same
time spreading the word &imparting effective education on the importance
of hrgine, sanitation immunization & simple quick remedy for minor
ailments. DEEDS organize seminar & speeches on various health subjects
periodically at the community level. This service is possible with the help
ofM.S.R.
4 MASS & ADULT EDUCATION:llliteracy & lack of access to information are the root causes for Indian
poverty. Inordertomakepeopleespeciallywomentoread&write
conducts adult education programmes under sponsorship from Mass
education dept, (ministry of H
SUGGESTION
AND
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Please find DEEDS suggestions/modifications for your kind
consideration and peresual.DEEDS is operating in five slum
areas of Banagio re City,namely Sathyanagar in Banaswadi Road
Ashokpuram in Yeshwanthpuram,Anjanappa Garden Slum in Mysore
Road and K.S.Garden & Rammana Garden Slum in Shanthinagar.
Here one could see slum dwellers and their children
suffer from (Skin problems,leprosy,T.B. Resperatory infections
lack of nutrition,minor ailments,ENT problems and Dental problems)
As suggested by the group that by the end of June
1995 a meeting could be arranged wherein plans regarding the
future course of action could be discussed in cooperation with
DEEDS and Community Health Cell.We suggest to initally begin the
programme on Health Education,first from Child To Child in ones
respective areas and training of Para Health Workers.This could
be tapped from the local people itself,making use of their service
and volunateering themselves to learn get themself trained by CHC
and DEEDS and in return contribute their service in the community.
all for a period of 8 to 12 weeks with the assistance of CHC and
DEEDS.The follow up and monitering of the programme will be done
by the trainees who had undergone such training, for a period
of
8 to 12 weeks,thereafter this programme will be handed over to a
group of community people who can take it over and manage on their
own.
The evaluation can be done by self that is the Community or with
the assistance of CHC and DEEDS.The idea is that DEEDS,CHC and the
Community where the training was imparted can reflect back,with
mutual concern and can be incorporated with DEEDS and CHC for the
future in the coming years,-thus we can make this programme very
responsive to the emerging needs of people,with the assistance of
CHC,this could be the plan in the coming years by DEEDS,taking one
of the operational areas as a model and then shift to the other
areas.
A.-*
Prepared by, Frank Josef,
"" '
socialworker - DEEDS,Banggiore-46.
***********************
THE (WCERNEP F°R
PLflM
H'eAE-TH
lvoc^t-tc
x_p
br 1
14. d'lll
'’■f
j_ m p
■ W G ERMS
0
W
cv
_ ■ S
I M Po PTZ^MCE
6)
Q>
(A)
Pepscnol
kiLLER
I
F
0
MM <J N I.ZAT ' CM
J? ISSUES
Hy^iEME
tlCL
0)
cy
GO
60
G)
pt
\l
T
edst
?\fo $e
teetk
M-PCLtFi
cilloI
I
<2
G)
P.T- D
303/2, L.B. Shastri Nagar, Vimanapura Post, Bangalore - 560 017
Tel/Fax: 0091-80-5275258 Tel: 0091-80-5272111 Fax: 0091-80-5580357 ATTN. CWC
GV
C&)
to
(?)
03
(C)
(0
.?kiM -r-------SGxb‘«^>
A IItx^itc
kJofcHs
PoliticI
Worms
(a) 'TtxcxJ
C3)
Oo
ok^L
t'~/~Cc> k.
Worois
f cx-p Z^
KJ e r ms
ij/_
jZ^ L5 EASES
a)
T. B
e)
dy
e)
ZWA ■
cJ^o k rc\ / T
Area
t¥
GV
C b)
n J < «C
Pr.orLems ^Qv;rchT>vL4r t^oUx^
K.'ccltr
o'rvi Idfyjnx^
(c)
(«*)
£) ra^
To i le-l^
(e)
E(.€dA,LcUG.
?-7,
f\[uTRiTi 0(\|
0
(Al
PVijpvjih.(-
C3)
G> cUd ? tl,
bJ&rn r>v\
[fllre .s
£?
XocO ,
f-’fR.ST Al©
cJkocpta*
*)
*9
e)
P^\/gr
p Is
^ncJ<e,
Ar-kpt'cJ
{jLfplL. ’
e t/J O u *n. cL&
Cl^p^r v>L
7^
B^rnS
h)
Bc<U
- j£n^
<a;
P^-^|3rC^_L
Cb)
Mx'Yu2.4 vet ai
CC
U)
C^)
2^ £«v>e’Lt&-noJL
pt o
T)
cJ
P>e^rv>ve,F
.pLa^YxAvep
.^pe-^ocl
I
M,p
|^r\
•CbYvO^^S
I7,7. o
•
Ckrcpl'e,
< m
r
IX
:
V^NERnL
C o)
■(a (5 Tie -j-y kt-C.
cv
■<Sljpk,cU I.S
C0
(a)
B u ko.5
’
h-iol^.
Drugs
5 Kr*»p©'fe l< 1 v
C®.)
O)
Ic)
0 -ri th l< S>
f O kaece
pCSERsES
COMMUNITY HEALTH CELL
Ref. No. CHC :
No. 367, 'Srinivasa Nilaya"
Jakkasandra, 1st Main
1st Block, Koramangala
BANGALORE-560 034
Phone: 5531518
C
Dear Sir/Madam,
Greetings from Community Health Cell !
Please find enclosed herewith the minutes of the meeting held on 22nd, June
at Ashirwad.
The next meeting on Sexually Transmitted Diseases/AIDS is proposed to be
held on 11th August, 1995 at Ashirwad between 3.00 p.m. and 5.00 p.m.
Please let us know if you require any change in topic or date. Our Phone
No. 5531518.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
(Reena K. Nair)
'Society for Community Health Awareness, Research and Action*
Registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act 17 of 1960,S.No. 44/91-92
Regd. Office : No. 326. V Main, 1st Block, Koramangala, Bangalore-560 034
REPORT OF THF, STREET CHILDREN TRAINING PROGRAMME ON. 22nd JUNE.. 1RR5.
A follow-up meeting of the Training Programme on the Health of Street
Children was conducted on June 22nd, 1995, at Ashirwad. The participants
were from Ashadeep, BOSCO, CWC, DEEDS and REDS.
The concrete actions that were taken up as a follow-up
training programme were :
of
the
earlier
(1) Designing of Child-to-child programme by CWC. CWC has formulated a
syllabus for the programme which covers various topics like Germs, Personal
Hygiene, Diseases etc. As visual aids for the Child-to-child programme,
CWC has requested CHC for flash cards from their library.
After discus
sion, it was decided that CWC and other organisations would formulate
Health messages to be conveyed using flash cards, and they would be designed/made with the help of CHC's resources.
(2) DEEDS has identified some health workers who are part of their NEE
programme to educate the children regarding Health. CHC has been requested
to conduct training for these health workers.
As the participants felt that more emphasis should be given on Personal
Hygiene, a detailed session with the help of posters was conducted. One of
the participants from Ashadeep brought-up various cases of chicken pox
among the children they are involved with, for which CHC was able to look
into the reasons, remedies and preventive measures.
Other points which were discussed were :
(a) How to convey the importance of Personal Hygiene to children.
suggested that each of the organisation could think about creative
of dealing with this and share it in consecutive meetings.
It was
methods
(b) It was suggested to the group that there is a need for an organisation
to take up collection of food from hotels which can be distributed to
various organisations working for the street children.
Inputs on topics like Preventive measures, STDs, Alcoholism in parents,
Psychological problems were requested by participants in the forthcoming
meetings.
REPORT QE THE STREET CHILDREN TRAINING PROGRAMME QH 22nd JUNE. 1995
A follow-up meeting of the Training Programme on the Health of Street
Children was conducted on June 22nd, 1995, at Ashirwad. The participants
were from Ashadeep, BOSCO, CWC, DEEDS and REDS.
The concrete actions that were taken up as a follow-up
training programme were :
of
the
earlier
(1) Designing of Child-to-child programme by CWC. CWC has formulated a
syllabus for the programme which covers various topics like Germs, Personal
Hygiene, Diseases etc. As visual aids for the Child-to-child programme,
CWC has requested CHC for flash cards from their library.
After discus
sion, it was decided that CWC and other organisations would formulate
Health messages to be conveyed using flash cards, and they would be designed/made with the help of CHC's resources.
(2) DEEDS has identified some health workers who are part of their NFE
programme to educate the children regarding Health. CHC has been requested
to conduct training for these health workers.
As the participants felt that more emphasis should be given on Personal
Hygiene, a detailed session with the help of posters was conducted. One of
the participants from Ashadeep brought-up various cases of chicken pox
among the children they are involved with, for which CHC was able to look
into the reasons, remedies and preventive measures.
Other points which were discussed were :
(a) How to convey the importance of Personal Hygiene to children.
suggested that each of the organisation could think about creative
of dealing with this and share it in consecutive meetings.
It was
methods
(b) It was suggested to the group that there is a need for an organisation
to take up cb-llection of food from hotels which can be distributed to
various organisations working for the street children.
Inputs on topics like Preventive measures, STDs, Alcoholism in parents,
Psychological problems were requested by participants in the forthcoming
meetings.
19 November 1995
Dear Forum Member,
Greetings! Our next meeting is as
scheduled on 23 November 1995 at Ashirvad,
4:00 p.m. We will begin with tea in the dining
room.
Member Organisations
The agenda items that are before us
are as follows:
2.
3.
5.
Item__________________________
Approval of the Minutes, Introductions
Community Health Cell Interaction
Directory (Update)
Coordination assignments/discussion
CACL Information Update
Asha Deep
7/1 Venkatappa Road
Tasker Town
Bangalore 560 051
Tel: 2864113
Bangalore Oniyavara
Sava Coota (BOSCO)
91 ’B’ Street, VI Cross
Gandhinagar
Bangalore 560 009
Tel: 225 3392
Proposed by
_______ Responsibility
Convenor
Group
Concerned for Working
Mythri
Children (C.W.C.)
Convenor
302 L.B. Shastri Nagar
Mr. Joe/Fr. Varghese Vimanapura Post
Mr. Chandar
Ongoing
Ongoing
Feed back for the coordination roles in the executive, field activist, children and
governmental liaison area is as follows:
Asha Deep would like to be in a secondary role.
BOSCO is willing to take the lead in the Governmental Liaison area.
CWC— no direct response to an area as of yet.
DEEDS is willing to be involved in the Children’s programme.
KSCCW- no response.
Mythri is willing to have a secondary role both in the executive and governmental areas.
REDS will take the lead in the executive area by virtue of the convenorship.
St. Luke’s- no response.
YMCA is willing to be involved in the governmental liaison area.
As you can see we lack the field activist area to be covered and it is not clear as to the lead
organiser in the children’s area. I hope we can settle these roles so the planning for the coming
month may be done before our next meeting.
Bangalore 560 017
Tel: 527 5258
Development Education
Society (DEEDS)
5/1VI Main, S.K. Garden
Bangalore 560 046
Tel: 333 1783
Karnataka State Council
for Child Welfare (KSCCW)
135 Nandidurg Road
Bangalore 560 046
Tel: 333 0846
Mythri Sarva Seva
Samithi(Mythri)
373 HAL II Stage
(100Ft Road) Indiranagar
Bangalore 560 038
Rag Pickers Education
At this meeting we will also welcome Sisters Anna and Sharia as our guests. They direct & Development Scheme
Navajeevana, Home for Street Girls. As I understand it, they may be looking toward membership in (REDS)*
the Forum.
P.B. 2549,15 Curlee Street
Bangalore 560 025
Tel: 56 9209
Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday.
St. Luke's Rag Picker
Welfare Association
1 Pampamahakavi Road
Bangalore 560 018
Tel: 660 4065
Sill
Brother Edward, S.M.
FoArEDS.
/
Young Men’s Christian
Association(YMCA)
66 Infantry Road
Bangalore 560 001
Tel: 559 1681
Correspondence Address
P.B. 2549.15 Curlee Street
Bangalore 560 025
Tel: 56 9209
•Convunor, 1995-'96
SOMEFIGURESON WORKINGANDSTREET CHILDREN IN INDIA
• It is estimated that there are 150 million working children in India.
©India has the highest ratio of working children in the World.
©There are between 20 and 40 million children labourers in India.
©There are about 100,000 migrant children working in the carpet
industries in Uttar Pradesh.
©Half of the children working in the carpet industry in Uttar Pradesh are bonded labourers.
©52% of the total workforce in the carpet industry are children.
©In Bangalore, it is estimated that there are 45,000 migrant children working.
©20,000 migrant children in Bangalore live on the streets.
• India has an estimated 12 million destitute orphans.
•There is institutional care available'in India for only 2,50,000 orphans. Approximately 95% of
orphans are without any available institutional care.
Courtsey: ACTIONAID
OH 3-Ji/-
b E E P
Narfe.lof Organisation :
ASHA
Post.il
7/1 Venkatappa Road,
Andress:
Tasker Town
Bangalore 56 )351
Talephone
575113
Janesis :
First project was started
in the /ear
1993 in Seva Na,gar, irea for 12 girls
* To provide
; i ane-Health servicer
* To educate the mild and the fan.il/
* To foster Hu nan—Psychological-Spiritual
Growth
* To integrate the child in the family
. and in tn? society
Religious congregation
and few donations
* street contacts
* Family visits
* Bath and was ling of clothes
* .'12.11,5 ano nutrition
* Formal and non-formal educat.on
* Parents’ meetings
* Education in life values
* Training in r.k Ils
knitting-stitcning
er.zelowpes-canales - earns
* ?4edical <theck-up and treatment
♦Counselling and psychological nelp
* Income generating
prograni-.es
(collection clean papers - Rabbit rearin
Handlera fts a tc. )
* Saving sc lames
* Recreative
in;: culturil
i.-tiviti-'S
give hops and dignity
ASHA
A
Project
DEEP
-
LIGHT
for
street
girls
PERSPECTIVE
AND
HOPE
OF
and their families
CHALLENGES.
In our city of Bangalore ( Karnataka, India), an estimated
number of 50,000 children are considered, "labelled", STREET CHILDREN: school
drop outs, rag pickers, vagrant, resorting to pegging,
Out of these 50,000,
6 to 8 thousand are girls.
prostitution
etc.
The situation in the streets
is quite different for a boy and for a girl and we know that risks are more for
a girl.
These children originate from very poor families, slum and pavement
dwellers.
Often drinking habits aggravate the difficult circumstances of the
families
and generate endless problems.
Our project has thus the
Asha Deep - Light of Hope.
objective of being a light of hope in the lives of the street girls and of
their families.
We have set up our centre in the heart of the city to be
easily accessible and, regularly, we canvass the area in search of the street
girls to invite them to the centre.
These street contacts are the first step,
the second being the visits to the families (when there is a family...) to get
them involved and obtain their permission to allow their daughter (s) to come
regularly to the Day Centre and avail of the services offered.
1 • Hygiane and Health Services.
to wash their clothes;
The children
have
facilities to take bath,
nutritious meals are provided along with medical
check-up , treatment, etc.
2-
Non-formal education.
mother tongue either
A literacy programme is initiated in the girl s
tamil or kannada.
Formal education is facilitated
whenever possible if the children are interested and if the families commit
themselves to sending them to school regularly.
This is much easier with
the younger girls.
3-
Income-generating scheme - Training in skills.
ing in the streets: rag picking, begging.
be provided
this income.
Many of the girls were arm
Another source of income has to
if we withdraw the girls from the streets.
The families need
At the initial stage especially, this income generating
scheme is very important.
It serves at an incentive to attract to the Centre
and for grown up girls who have to earn their living.
According to the age,
the girls are gradually trained into cover, enveloppe, candle soap and doll
making,
in knitting and stitching etc.
Collection of clean waste papers
(magazines, newspapers etc.), is made from some families and institutions
and the profit of the sale is distributed to the children.
The girl then
keeps part of it for the Saving Scheme and takes the rest at heme.
We try
to remove the girls from searching in the rubbish bins where hygiene, health
and dignity are violated.
This scheme will take some time before bing fully
operational and one difficulty is to find a market for the manufactured goods.
4-
Recreative and cultural programmes.
Recreation and play help the develop
ment of the child and are encouraged.
The children also occasionally partici
pate in competitions with other children.
Once a month, an outing is usual
ly prganised to give these children the same chances, the same joys
children have in their
5-
that other
homes.
Human and Psychological Development
is fostered in view of the integration
A street girl of today is a woman of tomorrow
of these girls in tbe Society.
and our aim is to prepare her for her future,
to prepare her for a brignter
and happier future.
All the girls who have a family are encouraged to remain in their family and
we are trying to improve the conditions of life of the family.
The drinking
problems seem to be the most important ones as nearly all the savings
spent on drinks and this, very often, for
parents, couselling is provided.
both the parents.
are
Meetings with the
This simultaneous action with the family
indispensable and the foundation of our project.
is
We believe that the most pre
cious gift of life for the child is a family and our efforts are to build united
and happy families where the child will be loved, cared for, and where she may
blossom in joy and happiness.
We encourage the girls who have left their homes
(families) to return, we help the parents to accept their child back home.
Groun up girls are referred to institutions where training is more elaborate.
Our centre cannot cope actually with all the age groupes; the place is limited
and the staff not fully prepared and gualified yet.
Our big challenge is to accept the girls as they are with their woundedness,
their brokenness, to understand and love them.
As they grow agressivite may
because of all their past traumas.
sometimes well up
It is the time when they
need most to be treated with great kindness and gentleness.
We believe in the
forces of life in each human being, th in the capacity of each one to grow.
Another challenge is the time and energy to invest,
a long time to change
with dedication.
It takes
the wandering habits into discipline, to change the
fighting for one’s survival into respect of dchers, to change the fear and lack
of trust into a light of hope.
The task is huge.
Thousands of girls need help, hundreds of girls are waiting
on the streets, wandering, surviving of scraps in the rubbish bins.
We have
our limitations of place and of human resources but we believe that the
tiny
seeds if tidat w^;'„ blossom.
The perspective: The street girl becoming a happy girl living in a unity family,
fully integrated into the society.
The challenge: To love enough to take up this task and commit ourselves sincerely
generously.
ASHA
DEEP-
A Light of Hope for the street girls and their families.
30 -?f mW
HEALTH OF THE STREET CHILDREN - A EEEQET ON THE TRAINING PROGRAMME
The two day training programme was conducted on 30/5/95 and 31/5/95
with the staff of organisations for Street Children to help have a
better understanding about Health and Minor Illnesses. The sessions
were learning sessions where, resource persons helped the group to
learn together the topics chosen during the preliminai’y discussions
/dialogues.
SCHEDULE
10.00 a.m to 01.00 p.m - Morning session
02.00 p.m to 05.00 p.m - Afternoon session
TOPICS COVERED
30.5.95
Morning sessions
if General Principles of Disease Transmission
ft Drug Addiction
if Psychological Problems
Afternoon sessions
it STDs and AIDS
if Skin problems including leprosy
ft Communication Strategies and Child-to-Child
programmes
31,5.95
Morning sessions
ft Tuberculosis
ft Nutrition
Afternoon sessions
ft Minor ailments
ft Eye problems
ft E.N.T problems
EACH DAY.'.S. SESSION.
30. ,._5.._9.5
The training programme commenced at 10.00 a.m. with self
tion of participants to make the participants familiar
another.
introduc
with one
A question raised by a resource person as to what is Health?, led to
framing of a definition on Health:
HEALTH IS NOT BEING FREE FROM DISEASES BUT
MENTALLY, SOCIALLY AND SPIRITUALLY FIT.
ALSO
BEING
PHYSICALLY,
#
General Principles si£ Disease Transmission : The resource person
helped understand the common modes of Disease Transmission and
the roles of the triad of Environment , Agent and Man (Host).
Posters were used to convey the message on how diseases spread.
He also explained the three levels of intervention vis., Primary,
Secondary and Tertiary level.
#
Drug Addiction : Regarding Drug Addiction, a resource person from
the De-addiction ward of NIMHANS gave a brief description of the
activities conducted in their unit to help people cope up with
their problem. He offered the full support of his unit to the
group in every possible way.
if
Psychological problem ■ The resource person from the Psychiatric
unit of NIMHANS through means of a role play explained to the
group that what is normal for the street child could be abnormal
for us, but one should never question the child's moralityinstead respect the child as a human being. As the street chil
dren lack faith in people, it is a must that we should boost the
confidence of the children and nevex' question their' attitudes.
#
STDs and AIDS ; In the afternoon the first session was on S.T.D
and AIDS. The resource person from St. John's Medical College
explained to the group about the various sexually transmitted
diseases like Syphilis, Gonorx'hea etc. The inputs on AIDS was
minimal as the participants felt that AIDS does not occur until
the age of 16.
#
Skin diseases including Leprosy ■ By means of posters and pic
tures, the resource person from CHC explained to the group how
leprosy is caused-the signs and symptoms of Leprosy etc.
The
other skin diseases like Scabies, Boils etc which are common to
the children were also discussed.
Personal Hygiene was also stressed upon.
#
Communication Strategies and. Child - .to zC.hlld. programme ■ The
resource person from a school health programme along with her
team explained to the participants the concept of Child to Child
programme. Using puppets as a media, the resource person demon
strated how health messages could be transmitted to children.
31.5.95
tt
Tuberculosis : The second day of the Training programme commenced
at 10.00 a.m with a review of the General mode of Disease trans
mission.
The resource person the former-director of National
Tuberculosis Institute (NTI) by means of posters explained to the
group the signs and symptoms of Tuberculosis. As most of the
organisations had cases of children with Tuberculosis, a major
discussion followed.
Input on medication and treatment was given
on the request of the participants.
tt
Nutrition
■ The session on Nutrition was more on sharing of
information by the participants. Emphasis on the fact that food
should be chewed properly and not swallowed etc. was laid.
The
concept of balanced diet, kitchen garden were also discussed.
ii
Minor ailments ■
In the afternoon, the session
ailments. The resource person from CHC explained
es in three areas
was on Minor
about illness
- Skin diseases,
- Respiratory diseases,
- Gastrointestinal diseases.
Emphasis was on the fact that and most of the diseases
treated by ourselves, in early stages.
can
be
#
Eve ; The resource person from SJMC by means of a model of an eye
explained to the group the different parts of an eye. The group
clarified many doubts regarding various eye problems which they
face-watering of the eye, sty, itching, redness of the eye etc.
#
Ear : The resource person from NIMHANS by means of a diagram ex
plained to the group the various parts of a ear. Problems like
ear discharge, stammering, pronunciation difficulty etc were
dealt with.
EVALUATION.'
1.
The group suggested that by the end of June 1995 a meeting could
be arranged wherein plans regarding the future course of action
could be discussed.
2.
Child to Child programme would be tried out in
organisations.
their
respective
DRAWBACKS
1.
A map showing the location of the venue could have been sent to
the participants so that they would not have faced difficulties in
finding the place.
2.
The time was too short to cover- many topics of importance.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
y /m
tezps
J~CS/\>e: ; i Mg
zA/<^€o
V7
7-9^5-
■Z/Cl-JX-A c-(aa-
ms
'-££/> 6-rU-i
/[/)/Maa. 0^l
gsi /%»
7-y<r^y^1 Cs-r>
^-^r-^-^f
^0 A )
V/n-faz^
_____________________
■A^--/? c-s-z)
—-pL------------------------------ —
€<^<_________________________________________ .
___________________________ <g>
/&rco
C©n fa/fa
J2
—
____________________________ (f)
fi\/ tsy
^7
££)
/v7zl^»
<2p
fa^DZ
___________________ ©
uj/4.
(§>
^cj©
______
y^cfi________________________________
ft* s-t*
P<re^
Jc_fa-fa
_______________Z?
d’ J
JrJ>
/^ ep-^SXfas-'f'r? A **J^V
(^ JLc.^^ai'')
/-$
kaJfa
V
©
/v-0^ fctounjd.
/©ycfaa
0^.© <©
©©is^
■^~
________________________ ________ /% anfi&Li£
^/'jL^fa^CyfA-^-U^7
LV~__________________________
____________________ (jl/^
____________________________ —
&^iJt
___________________________
W'lfa(faji^fary}
yfatyfa
- Xz/Z"
-S^
■dg>z^afa
______________________ ■•-
/^<>;37c^kv
1
---------
_
'
/
z/
J
'
u
.
£©/7fL-l— -fa-ti
~
—
/ 70
/Sfa^'
.
^>^^,,1
/b
ffai'lfaz
/3
rfTX'Z’lfaLwvo »
REPORT OF THE TWO DAY WORKSHOP ON STREET CHILDREN
Dates
6th and 7th July
Venue
Community
Health
Cell,
367,
Nilaya
I
Main,
Jakkasandra,
Koramangala, Bangalore 560 034
Subjects dealt
with
Psychosocial and health problems
Communication technics and approach
methodology
Resource persons
Dr. Shekar Sheshadri
Child Psychiatrist.
1993
Srinivasa
Block,
(NIMHANS),
Dr. Shirdi Prasad Tekur,
Coordinator,
Community Health Cell.
Mrs. Indira Swaminathan
Psychologist).
(Educational
unusual circumstances.
Headquarters. It bears quotation in
Actors in the play performed
extenso:
strangely. Capt/ M. Kondath of the
‘'He (Sidhu) also stated that it had
Indian Navy7 (Accused No. 3) was
come to the notice of Prime Minister that
Director,
Submarine Arm from July
certain parties in Naval Headquarters
1979 to June 1980 and Officer on
seem to be favouring the Swedish offer."
Special Duty (OSD), SSK Project
I informed the Addl. Secy that subse
from Juhe 1980 to September 1981.
quent to the issue of Naval
As QSD, Capt. Kondath was dealing
Headquarters note EE/0630 dated
with'technical/financial evaluations of
June 19, 1980, certain other informa
the7 offers for the SSK submarine for
tion had also come to the notice of
the Indian Navy. He applied for pre
Naval Headquarters which merit a
mature retirement on compassionate
change in the total matrix points and it
grounds in September 1980 with
is Naval Headquarters’ duty to bring
effect
from August 1, 1981. Retiring
them to the attention of Ministry of
at the end of 1981, he applied for
Defence as Naval Headquarters were
approval to join HDW on a consultan
not aware of any cut-off date beyond
cy basis. The plea was rejected. He
which information should not be
then acted for HDW “in a surrepti
passed on to the Ministry of Defence.
tious manner’.
“I also informed him that Naval
The Fir. lists the charges against
Headquarters were entirely neutral on
him and each of the other accused.
selection of either the Swedish or the
^)W submarine and have stated so in
For example, against Schunker it
alleges “that m October 16, 1980 he
Notes SA/3055 dated May 16,1980 and Admiral U.S.. Aircira. former Chief of
stated that the technical specifications
EE/0630 dated June 19,1980.”
!
one person who refused
The FIR adds: “The piece of evi to budge and who w rote to the Minister indicated by M/s. HDW were not
acceptable to the Navy but on
dence clearly shows the culpable of State for Defencepn February 3 and
November 5, 1980 he suddenly agreed
involvement of
Shri Sidhu even 25.1981 recording his objections to
to accept the increased figures of
though, the offer of M/s. Kockums the deal.
technical specifications, with their
was more acceptable. It also gives rea
son to believe that Shri Sidhu was act were deliberately suppressed by Shri accompanying disadvantages, without
ing in complicity with certain public Ramaswamy, ,AFA(R), Vice-Admiral assigning any reasons ... in the prepa
servants and was, therefore, anxious to M. R. Schunker, VCNS, and others ration of statement of case in
see that the offer of HDW was in order to abort the move for reopen December 1980, he deliberately
accepted expeditiously even though, ing the dialogue with Kockums. Shri increased the matrix points in favour
there were serious reservations S. K. Bhatnagar, AS(D) and the of HDW.”
Shortly after the FIR was filed, a let
Negotiating Committee, by suppress
expressed by NHQ.”
The FIR alleges that B. S. ing vital facts in the statement of case ters rogatory was sent to Switzerland.
Ramaswamy, Additional Financial put up to the PM/RRM/FM, deliber The Indian Embassy in Berne was
Adviser
(AFA) in ±e Defence ately, conspired to keep Kockums out informed, on July 25, 1990, that it was
Ministry, “dishonestly and falsely rep of the negotiations in order to favour rejected as being defective, prolix and
resented the HDW offer as cheaper” M/s. HDW. The doctored note con imprecise. A letter from the Swiss
and he did so, it adds, with Sidhu’s taining the statement of case indicat Federal Department of Justice and
ing the status of the SSK project was Police, however, made some helpful
knowledge.
The Naval Headquarters’ objections ,put up to Shri Shiv Raj Patil, RRM, suggestions for the future. It conclud
^fcarding the noise factor were on December 21, 1980 and also to the ed by saying that “the moment cho
Crushed aside. HDW was not “able to Prime Minister” (Indira Gandhi).
sen by the Indian authorities to
guarantee self-noise figures” at all.
One man refused to budge. He was present this request seems prema
Objections continued to be pressed Admiral R. L. Pereira, Chief of Naval ture.” The Bofors case was pending
even after the CCPA’s decision. Staff. He wrote to the RRM on before the Swiss courts. “It appears
Admiral Schunker at one point “sug February 3 and 25, 1981 recording his from the two requests for mutual aid
that the persons and
gested re-opening a dialogue with objections.
the
accounts con
Kockums for (the) purchase of sub
Eventually the con
The Bofors case
cerned are in a large
marines”. Bhatnagar shot the idea tract was negotiated at
is all but over in measure identical.” A
down. Papers went to and fro/
Rs. 465 crores at the
decision
in the Bofors
The FIR says that in the earlier February 1979 price
the Swiss courts.
case will therefore help
reports by Vice Admiral Schunker, the level. The estimated
The time has
in deciding the plea in
HDW had lost considerably in the cost of the project that
the HDW case (The
matrix relating to technical parameters was projected to the
come to send
Hindustan
Times,
and NHQ was repeatedly projecting CCPA in May 1980
another letters
August 16, 1990).
getting
the
the stand that the HDW offer had while
The Bofors case is
become unacceptable/ “Yet, without HDW offer accepted
rogatory in the
all but over in the
assigning any reasons; he deliberately was Rs. 374.99 crores
HDW case, one
Swiss courts. The time
increased the matrix in favour of at the February 1979
HDW at that crucial juncture in order price level. An extra
that conforms to has come to send
another letters rogato
to reduce the difference between the cost of Rs. 90 crores
Swiss
ry in the HDW case
offers of HDW and Kockums. There was added mainly
requirements.
which conforms to
are reasons to Believe that crucial fea because the offer was
Swiss requirements. ■
tures, both financial and technical, accepted hastily and in
Frontline, May 2,1997
pro
109
CHILD LABOUR
Children as workers
Convention’s call for compulsory primary education
T.K. Rajalakshmi
in New Delhi
At the public hearing on child labour in New Delhi, jury members (from left) R.
Venkataramani, T.S. Shankaran, Indira Jaising, Justice Leila Seth, Prof. Yash Pal,
N. Ram and Muchkund Dubey; (below) some of the child participants.
NDIA has the unhappy distinction
of having the largest number of child
labourers in the world. Approximately
45 million children are employed in
organised and unorganised sectors and
they work between 10 to 12 hours
daily for an average monthly wage of
Rs. 250; in many cases, they work for
no wage at all. Studies and historical
experience show that there is a clear
and undeniable link between children
going to work and children not going
to school, and that compulsory school
ing is a necessary condition for the
abolition of child labour. The Indian
state’s record on this front is dismal.
Article 45 of the Indian Constitution
mandated the state to direct its policy
towards ensuring “free and compulso
ry education for all children until they
complete the age of 1'4 years” within
10 years of the commencement of the
Constitution. However, estimates from
the 43rd Round of the National
Sample Survey (1987-88) indicate
I
110
Frontline, May 2,1997
that 50 per cent of children in the 5-14 fundamental right (Frontline, March even free and compulsory primary
12, 1993). The jury noted with alarm education, the jury noted. This failure,
age group are not attending school.
On March 31, at the end of a public that as a result of the State’s colossal it pointed out, has created a huge
hearing attended by some 1,000 chil failure with respect to education, India standing child labour force. “It is
dren employed in various fields, an would be home to 50 per cent of the unconscionable for any society,” the
eight-member jury called for the aboli world’s illiterate population by the year jury declared, “to try to develop on the
basis of child labour and... universal
tion of the practice of employing chil 2000.
The jury made 11 recommendations elementary education is the precondi
dren up to the age of 14. In a
hard-hitting, precise and action-orient- on the basis of depositions made by 12 tion for the success of any develop
ed declaration that did
away with distinctions
between child labour in
“hazardous” and “nonhazardous” occupations,
the jurors left no scope for
ambiguity on this score.
The hearing was organ
ised in New Delhi by the
Campaign Against Child
Labour
(CACL),
an
umbrella organisation of
^Mut 700 NGOs, as part
^fls second national con
vention on child labour.
The eight jurors were
Justice Leila Seth, retired
Chief Justice of the
Himachal Pradesh High
Court;
Muchkund
Dubey, former Foreign
Secretary; Indira Jaising
and R. Venkataramani,
Senior Advocates in the
Supreme Court; Prof.
Yash
Pal,
former
Chairman,
University
Grants
Commission;
Justice Rajinder Sachar,
Retired Judge, Delhi High
Court; T.S. Shankaran,
former
Secretary, Child workers at a limestone kiln in Dhone. Andhra Pradesh. India has the unhappy
Ministry of Labour; and distinction of having the largest number of child labourers in the world.
N. Ram, Editor, Frontline.
The jury noted that data from the child labourers on March 31, presenta ment strategy.” The jury demanded
Fourth Quinquennial Survey of tions made by the CACL and informa that laws be enacted by the state to
ployment and Unemployment of tion from other sources. One of the provide free, compulsory, relevant and
National Sample Survey (NSS), major recommendations was that no quality education to all children. With
conducted between July 1987 to June child was to be made to work in any respect to the question of providing
1988, indicated that 50 per cent of capacity as a labourer till the comple quality education, it recommended the
children in the 5-14 age group were tion of 14 years of age. To ensure this, implementation of the report of the
Advisory
Committee,
not attending school. Applying the die jury suggested that the Child National
NSS results to the age-wise Census of Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) “Learning without Burden”, (1993).
Children were employed because of
India data, it was estimated that in Act, 1986 be amended to prohibit the
1995 more than 78 million children employment of children up to the age their vulnerability in a climate of mass
aged between 6 and 11 years were not of 14 in all sectors, including their poverty and injustice, the jury
attending school.
employment in private dwelling houses observed. It held untenable the “nim
Referring to the constitutional direc or employment carried on with the ble fingers theory” which maintained
tive on education enshrined in Article help of the family. By making such an that certain jobs could be done only by
45, the jury stated in unequivocal amendment the government would the nimble fingers of women and chil
terms that the Central and State gov fulfil its commitment under interna dren. The real reasons for employing
ernments had failed to perform their tional instruments and conventions, children was that they constituted a
constitutional duty in this regard. This notably
the
United
Nations malleable, cheap workforce which
unconscionable failure was despite Convention on the Rights of the Child. could be easily controlled and manipu
Supreme Court rulings in July 1992 India has ratified the convention of lated or rendered invisible by employ
ers to evade labour legislation. In the
(in Mohini Jain vs the State of November 20, 1989.
While other developing countries absence of collective bargaining, child
Karnataka case) and in February 1993
(in Unnikrishnan, J.P. and others vs the had made it illegal for children up to labour had a tendency to depress adult
State ofAndhra Pradesh and others') that the age of 14-15 to be out of school, wages and hiring.
The jury recommended that special
the right to primary education was a the Indian state had failed to ensure
•
Frontline, May 2,1997
111
The findings of the jury
National Public Hearing on Child
Labour, March 31, 1997.
We, the jurors of the National
Public Hearing on Child Labour held
at Mavlankar Hall, V. P. House, Rafi
Marg, New Delhi-110 001 on March
31, 1997,
Having heard the depositions of
children employed in various sectors
(including prohibited sectors) and
constituting a cross-section of the
national child labour force.
Recognising that child labour
exists on a very large seal'.: across the
length and breadth of the <: ■ nitty,
notwithstanding the ey stence of
constitutional guarante--. ->t:J prohi
bitions under labour ai d welfare
laws,
Recognising that Article 45 of the
Constitution of India mandates the
state to direct its policy towards
ensuring “free and compulsory edu
cation for all children until they
complete the age of 14 years,” within
ten years of the commencement of
the Constitution,
Recognising that the Supreme
Court of India has held in
Unnikrishnan’s case that the right to
primary education is a fundamental
right and that it is the duty of the
state to ensure its realisation,
Recognising that 50 years after
Independence,
the
’ Central
Government and State governments
have failed to perform their constitu
tional duty by the children of India,
thereby compelling them to become
child labourers,
Recognising that notwithstanding
the knowledge that by the turn of the
century, India will have 50 per cent
of the world’s illiterate population
and the size of the child labour force
has been on the increase precisely
because of the failure of the state on
the educational and socio-economic
fronts,
Recognising that it is uncon
scionable for any society to try to
develop on the basis of child labour
and that universal elementary educa
tion is the precondition for the suc
cess of any development strategy,
Do hereby state and declare as fol
lows:
Based on the statistics presented to
us, we have reached the conclusion
that India has the largest number of
child labourers in the world. Studies
estimate that there are approximately
45 million children employed in the
112
workforce, starting at a very early
age, working an average of 10 to 12
hours a day, at an average wage of
Rs. 250 per month and in many cases
for no wages at all, for example,
bonded labour. We believe that this
estimate of the number of child
labourers is an underestimate. Child
labour is a ubiquitous phenomenon
with regard to its occurrence, regionally and sectorally. On the basis of
the
results
of
the
Fourth
Quinquennial
St;rvey
of
Employment and Unemployment
conducted by inc rsational Sample
Survey (NfiS) fro:m July 1987 to
June 1988 (publisheri in 1992), it can
be estimated that 50 per cent of children in the age ;.rrout of 5 to 14 years
in India were nor smending school.
Applying the NSS re:sults to age-wise
census of India data , it has been estimated that the number of children
not attending school in the age
group of 6 to 11 years alone was
more titan 78 million in 1995.
Child labour is not a peripheral or
minor part of the Indian work force;
several sectors, unorganised as well
as organised, traditional as well as
new-growth, rural as well as urban,
of the Indian economy draw heavily'
on child labour. The CACL esti
mates that child labour exists in 50
different key sectors of the economy.
Some of these are: agriculture; con
struction; textiles; carpet weaving;
glassworks; the match industry and
fireworks; the beedi industry; hotels
and eating establishments; planta
tions; quarries; brick kilns; gem cut
ting and domestic work. Children
may be employed in these sectors as
hired labourers, part of the family
workforce, or as bonded labourers.
The jury wishes to highlight the
fact that child labour is employed on
this massive scale in India primarily
because the system has failed to pro
vide for and enforce free and com
pulsory school education (up to the
age of 14), a basic right recognised
the world over and enshrined in
international covenants, notably the
United Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child which India has
ratified. Most countries in the world,
including developing
countries,
make it illegal for children up to the
age of 14-15 to be out of school. In
India the failure of the state to pro
vide for free and compulsory educa
tion even up to the primary stage has
created a huge standing child labour
force.
Children are employed because of
their vulnerability in a climate of
mass poverty and injustice; because
they constitute a malleable work
force, capable of being manipulated
or rendered invisible by employers to.
evade labour legislation; because of
their alleged adaptability, made noto
rious by the untenable nimble fin
gers theory, because they constitute a
cheap and easily controlled work
force, depressing adult wages and
employment and making it possible
for employers to avoid collective bar
gaining and to rake
in uncot^*
scionable profits.
The girl child, who suffers the
double disadvantage of discrimina
tion and deprivation - in society and
in the workplace - demands special
attention.
On the basis of the depositions by
child labourers, the presentations by
CACL and other information made
available to us, we recommend:
1)
that no child should be made to
work in any capacity as a labourer till
the completion of 14 years of age,
2) that free, compulsory, relevant
and quality elementary education
should be provided to all children
and that state laws be enacted for this
purpose,
3) that in connection with quality
education for all, the Report of the
National Advisory Committee,”
“Learning Without Burden” (1993),
be implemented,
4) that special measures be taken*
to safeguard the well-being of the gil^F
child in the matter of schooling and
in society.
5)
that the Child Labour
(Prohibition and Regulation) Act,
1986 should be amended to prohibit
the employment of children up to the
age of 14 in all sectors, including
employment in private dwelling
houses or employment carried on
with the aid of the family, and gener
ally to fulfil India’s commitment
under international instruments,
6)
that the recent Supreme Court
judgment in M. C. Mehta vs the State
of Tamil Nadu (1996) should be
strictly enforced and that citizens’
groups should be actively involved,
7)
that the distinction between
‘hazardous’ and ‘non-hazardous’
occupations obtaining in the 1986
Act and in the Government of India
Frontline, May 2,1997
measures be initiated to safeguard the
policy should be done away with, as
girl child in the matter of schooling
and in society. The girl child suffers
all employment of children is per se
the double disadvantage of discrimina
hazardous to the well-being of the
tion and deprivation - in society and in
child,
8) that an adequate and effective the workplace. Another significant rec
ommendation was that child labour be
social security system should be put
recognised essentially as a national
in place as a measured step towards
problem. This is necessary in the con
preventing children from being dri
text of the initiatives taken by the
ven into child labour,
9) that the Government of India developed countries to introduce a
social clause in multilateral trade
and State governments should
agreements, which would mainly serve
undertake a comprehensive survey
their own protectionist interests.
of child labour in all sectors, organ
In December 1996, the Supreme
ised and unorganised, and that this 1
Court, in its judgment in M.C. Mehta
should lead to the early formulation
of a comprehensive policy to -.n i ; versus the State of Tan'il Nadu, gave
directions on improving the quality of
child labour,
10)
that there should be commu life of children employed in factories,
on the payment of compensation, and
nity involvement tn the meusur>.:
so on. The jury suggested the enforce
the development of the child
ment of these direciivcs. Among the
elimination of child labour ri
other suggestions made by the jury
1 of the panchayats, and
11)
we regard child labour a-: ’ were tire creation of an effective social
essentially a domestic problem and I security system to prevent children
since the recent initiatives to include i from going back to their old profes
a Social Clause in multilateral trade , sions, a survey of child labour in the
agreements are designed merely to I organised and unorganised sectors
leading to the formulation of a policy
serve the protectionist interests of
seeking to put an end to child labour
developed countries, they should be
and steps to involve the community at
resisted.
the panchayat level in the efforts to
While we believe that the above
develop the child and eliminate child
recommendations will go a long way
labour.
in eliminating the obnoxious prac
tice of child labour, we emphasise
HE convention organised by the
the need for a broad and integrated
CACL was the culmination of a
approach including measures in the
series of public hearings held in
areas of health, nutrition, child care,
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra
employment, housing, enforcement
Pradesh and Karnataka early this year.
of minimum
wages and land
Children working in brick kilns, in
reform.
agriculture, in saree and silk weaving
(Sd.)
units, in the construction industry, in
(l)Muchkund Dubey
grain markets, sugarcane fields, in
(Former Foreign Secretary,
hosiery units, and in the beedi and
^•Government of India)
match industries attended the conven
^2) N. Ram
tion. Although the 1986 Act prohibits
(Editor, Frontline)
employment of children under the age
(3) T. S. Shankaran
of 14 in the beedi, construction and
(Former Secretary
match industries, children from these
Ministry’ of Labour,
areas, all under 14, were present and
Government of India)
deposed before the jury. Tliey includ
(4) Justice Leila Seth
ed 12-year old Mamita Sahu from a
(Retd. Chief Justice,
beedi factory in Orissa, 13-year-old
Himachal Pradesh High Court)
Arjun from a construction site in
(5) Prof. Yash Pal
Gujarat and 13-year-old Thangamani
(Former Chairman,
from a match factory in Tamil Nadu.
University Grants Commission)
In a statement, the CACL reiterated
(6) Indira Jaising
its commitment to the eradication of
(Senior Advocate,
child labour in all sectors. Criticising
Supreme Court)
the new economic policy (NEP)
launched in 1991, the CACL said:
(7) Justice Rajinder Sacchar
(Retd. Judge, Delhi High Court)
“The NEP with its market-dominated
paradigm has ensured deregulation of
(8) R. Venkataramani
labour laws, accelerated retrenchment,
(Supreme Court Senior
led
to the informalisation of labour,
Advocate)
depression in adult wages and greater
New Delhi
inflation.”
March 31, 1997
According to the CACL, the Child
•
T
Frontline, May 2,1997
Labour (Prohibition and Regulation)
Act, 1986 operates from the paradigm
of regulating child labour and has a
number of legalistic and procedural
lacunae. The major lacuna was that the
Act covered only the organised sectors,
leaving out the unorganised sector
which employs 85 per cent of child
labourers” Alpa Vora of the CACL
said that the 1986 Act legalised child
labour by making a distinction
between hazardous and non-hazardous occupations.
Presenting the CACL’s stand on child
labour before the jury, Ossie Fernandes,
director of the Human Rights Advocacy
and Research Foundation, pointed out
that the United Nations (Article 1 in
U.N. Convention on the Rights of the
Child) defines a person below 18 years as
a child. He suggested that in the long run
India could consider raising the mini
mum employable age from 14 to 18.
A significant fact that was highlight
ed by the convention was that a major
ity of child labourers work in
agriculture - as hired labourers, as part
of the family workforce or as bonded
labourers. According to the 1981 cen
sus, about 86.4 per cent of child work
ers are employed in agricultural and
allied activities. The 1986 Act had no
provision regarding child labour in this
sector. An International Labour
Organisation (ILO) convention laid
down in 1921 that children under 14
years should not be employed in pri
vate or public agricultural undertak
ings except outside the hours fixed for
school attendance. India has not rati
fied this convention as agriculture
comes under the unorganised sector,
and the 1986 Act applies only to the
organised sector. India has also not
ratified
the
Minimum
Age
Employment
(Non-industrial)
Convention No. 33 prohibiting the
employment of children under 13
because the convention applies to the
unorganised sector.
bolishing
child labour is a
much-debated issue. It has often
A
been held, incorrectly, that India must
eliminate mass income-poverty before
it can put all children in school.
American political scientist Myron
Weiner, who has carried out research
in India for more than 40 years, pre
sents a different vision {Frontline, April
27-May 10 and May 11-24). In his
book, The Child and the State in India
(Princeton University Press, U.S.,
1991), Weiner has shown that the abo
lition of child labour and the establish
ment of compulsory schooling precede
a general rise in basic living standards.
In fact, these are conditions precedent
for rapid economic growth. For
113
measures be initiated to safeguard the
girl child in the matter of schooling
policy should be done away with, as
and in society. The girl child suffers
all employment of children is per se
the double disadvantage of discrimina
hazardous to the well-being of the
tion and deprivation - in society and in
child,
8) that an adequate and effective the workplace. Another significant rec
ommendation was that child labour be
social security system should be put
recognised essentially as a national
in place as a measured step towards
problem. This is necessary in the con
preventing children from being dri
text of the initiatives taken by the
ven into child labour,
9) that the Government of India developed countries to introduce a
social clause in multilateral trade
and State governments should
agreements, which would mainly serve
undertake a comprehensive survey
their own protectionist interests.
of child labour in all sectors, organ
In December 1996, the Supreme
ised and unorganised, and that this
Court, in its judgment in M.C. Mehta
should lead to the early formulation
versus the State of Tamil Nadu, gave
of a comprehensive policy to end
directions on improving the quality of
child labour,
10)
that there should be commu life of children employed in factories,
on the payment of compensation, and
nity involvement in the measures for
so on. The jury suggested the enforce
the development of the child and
ment of these directives. Among the
^^elimination of child labour at the
other suggestions made by the jury'
WEI of the panchayats, and
were
the creation of an effective social
11)
we regard child labour as
security system to prevent children
essentially a domestic problem and
from going back to their old profes
since the recent initiatives to include
sions, a survey of child labour in the
a Social Clause in multilateral trade
organised and unorganised sectors
agreements are designed merely to
leading to the formulation of a policy
serve the protectionist interests of
seeking to put an end to child labour
developed countries, they should be
and steps to involve the community at
resisted.
the panchayat level in the efforts to
While we believe that the above
develop the child and eliminate child
recommendations will go a long way
labour.
in eliminating the obnoxious prac
tice of child labour, we emphasise
HE convention organised by the
the need for a broad and integrated
CACL was the culmination of a
approach including measures in the
series of public hearings held in
areas of health, nutrition, child care,
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra
employment, housing, enforcement
Pradesh and Karnataka early this year.
of minimum
wages and land
Children working in brick kilns, in
reform.
agriculture, in saree and silk weaving
units, in the construction industry, in
(Sd.)
grain markets, sugarcane fields, in
(l)Muchkund Dubey
hosiery units, and in the beedi and
_ (Former Foreign Secretary,
match industries attended the conven
^•Government of India)
^2) N. Ram
tion. Although the 1986 Act prohibits
employment of children under the age
(Editor, Frontline)
of 14 in the beedi, construction and
(3) T. S. Shankaran
match industries, children from these
(Former Secretary
Ministry of Labour,
areas, all under 14, were present and
Government of India)
deposed before the jury. They includ
(4) Justice Leila Seth
ed 12-year old Mamita Sahu from a
(Retd. Chief Justice,
beedi factory in Orissa, 13-year-old
Arjun from a construction site in
Himachal Pradesh High Court)
Gujarat and 13-year-old Thangamani
(5) Prof. Yash Pal
(Former Chairman,
from a match factory in Tamil Nadu.
In a statement, the CACL reiterated
University Grants Commission)
its commitment to the eradication of
(6) Indira Jaising
child labour in all sectors. Criticising
(Senior Advocate,
the new economic policy (NEP)
Supreme Court)
launched in 1991, the CACL said:
(7) Justice Rajinder Sacchar
“The NEP with its market-dominated
(Retd. Judge, Delhi High Court)
paradigm has ensured deregulation of
(8) R. Venkataramani
labour laws, accelerated retrenchment,
(Supreme Court Senior
led to the informalisation of labour,
Advocate)
depression in adult wages and greater
New Delhi
inflation.”
March 31, 1997
According to the CACL, the Child
T
Frontline, May 2,1997
Labour (Prohibition and Regulation)
Act, 1986 operates from the paradigm
of regulating child labour and has a
number of legalistic and procedural
lacunae. The major lacuna was that the
Act covered only the organised sectors,
leaving out the unorganised sector
which employs 85 per cent of child
labourers” Alpa Vora of the CACL
said that the 1986 Act legalised child
labour by making a distinction
between hazardous and non-hazardous occupations.
Presenting the CACL’s stand on child
labour before the jury, Ossie Fernandes,
director of the Human Rights Advocacy
and Research Foundation, pointed out
that the United Nations (Article 1 in
U.N. Convention on the Rights of the
Child) defines a person below 18 years as
a child. He suggested that in the long run
India could consider raising the mini
mum employable age from 14 to 18.
A significant fact that was highlight
ed by the convention was that a major
ity of child labourers work in
agriculture - as hired labourers, as part
of the family workforce or as bonded
labourers. According to the 1981 cen
sus, about 86.4 per cent of child work
ers are employed in agricultural and
allied activities. The 1986 Act had no
provision regarding child labour in this
sector. An International Labour
Organisation (ILO) convention laid
down in 1921 that children under 14
years should not be employed in pri
vate or public agricultural undertak
ings except outside the hours fixed for
school attendance. India has not rati
fied this convention as agriculture
comes under the unorganised sector,
and the 1986 Act applies only to the
organised sector. India has also not
ratified
the
Minimum
Age
Employment
(Non-industrial)
Convention No. 33 prohibiting the
employment of children under 13
because the convention applies to the
unorganised sector.
bolishing child labour is a
much-debated issue. It has often
been held, incorrectly, that India must
eliminate mass income-poverty before
it can put all children in school.
American political scientist iMyron
Weiner, who has carried out research
in India for more than 40 years, pre
sents a different vision {Frontline, April
27-May 10 and May 11-24). In his
book, The Child and the State in India
(Princeton University Press, U.S.,
1991), Weiner has shown that the abo
lition of child labour and the establish
ment of compulsory schooling precede
a general rise in basic living standards.
In fact, these are conditions precedent
for rapid economic growth. For
A
113
Speaking for themselves
that there was no government-run
school in the village. The nearest
school was a private institution and
T the public hearing organised Amitabh’s parents could not afford
by tire CACL, 12 working chil to send him there.
dren from different parts of the
Jupalli Bhaskar, 13, from Andhra
country’ deposed before the jury. The Pradesh, is a bonded agricultural
children were asked questions relat labourer. His father, also a bonded
ing to their socio-economic back labourer, had taken Rs. 10,000 for
ground and the compulsions behind his daughter’s marriage and Rs.
their going to work. All of them came 7,000 for treatment for a dog bite.
from low-income families and back Bhaskar worked from 5 a.m. to 7
ward castes. It was found that in p.m. He cleaned the cattle sheds of
most of the cases, the parents were the landowner, cut fodder, drew
indebted to the children’s employers. water, worked in the fields and, in his
Schools, if any, were very far from “spare time”, washed utensils in the
their homes. It was also found that landowner’s house. Bhaskar received
their siblings were employed in simi five pots of paddy every month for
lar occupations.
his work.
Lagani, a 11-year-old child from
Nagarathna, 11, from Magadi in
Sasaram district, Bihar, said that she rural Bangalore, worked in a silk
worked in a brick kiln as a substitute weaving unit. “My work starts at 8
for her sick mother. Her brother had a.m. and lasts till 9 p.m. For reeling,
borrowed Rs. 10,000
doubling and re-reelfrom the kiln owner
ling the thread, I get
and her weekly wage
<» Rs. 2 an hour. I can
of Rs. 50 went
not see the wall clock
towards repayment of
and so do not know
the loan. She worked
how long I work but
from 5 a.m. till late in
my master says I
the evening, after
must have worked for
which she had to do
less
than
eight
domestic work. It
hours,” Nagarathna
took one hour on foot
told
Frontline.
to reach the nearest
According to Saroja,
school
from
her
a voluntary worker,
house.
Nagarathna’s parents
Twelve-year-old
had taken Rs. 6,000
Amitabh, employed
from the owner of the
in the Banarsi saree
weaving unit, who
industry in Uttar
deducted Rs. 50 from
Pradesh, said that his
Nagrathna’s weekly
father forced him to
wage of Rs. 70. “In
go to work. Asked
the first three months
whether he was inter
of their employment,
ested in going to One of the working children
the children do not
school, Amitabh said deposing before the jury.
receive any wage.
T.K. Rajalakshmi
A
I
I
'
I
I
instance, Scotland and Sweden
achieved near-universalisation of edu
cation in the 18th century, well before
they began to industrialise. Among the
more recent examples in history,
Weiner
mentions
the
People’s
Republic of China, Kenya, Vietnam
and Sri Lanka - countries which have
managed to get over 90 per cent of the
children of primary school age into
schools despite their status as lowincome countries. In India, he cites the
case of Kerala, an industrially undevel
oped State which manages to get near
ly all children aged 6-11 and 88 per
114
cent of those aged 11-14 to school
and, more important, succeeds in
keeping them there.
Weiner writes: “Modem states
regard education as a legal duty, not
merely a right: parents are required to
send their children to school, children
are required to attend school, and the
state is obligated to enforce compulso
ry education.” Significantly, Weiner
points out, “this is not the view held in
India. Primary education is not com
pulsory, nor is child labour illegal.”
According to Weiner, the state can
effectively remove children from the
The owners say they are under train
ing,” said Saroja, According to her,
in the 1990s there was a spurt in the
number of weaving units in Magadi
when the World Bank extended a
loan of Rs. 500 crores. “Children
make 90 per cent of the workforce
here, of which 60 per cent are girls,”
she said.
Thangamani, 13, works in the
match industry in Tamil Nadu. She
told the jury that many of her col
leagues were of her age although the
board outside the unit claimed that
no children under 14 were employed
there. Thangamani was among the
few children who attended the non^ i
formal schooling conducted by th"
Indian Council of Child Welfare, but
she did so only after her working
hours, that is after 7 p.m. She said
that she was bonded to the factory
because of a loan taken by her father.
Her employer refused to give her
leave when she burnt her fingers at
the workplace. She was reminded of
the loan her father had taken.
When an official from the Labour
Welfare Department was expected to
visit the unit, the children would be
asked to come at 4 a.m. and leave at
9 a.m. Thangamani said that she
filled 300 match boxes every day.
The money she earned, according to
her mother, was to be used to make
10 sovereigns of gold.
C. Nambi from the Centre For
Social
Education
and
Development,
an
NGO
in
Coimbatore district in Tamil
Nadu, estimates that 25,000 chil^fe
dren are employed in the knit-wea™ ’
industry in Tirupur.
In the hosiery sector, 40 per cent of
the workforce are children below the
age of 15 and they work for 12-16
hours a day. ■
labour force through the policy instru
ment of compulsory primary educa
tion. “The state thus stands as the
ultimate guardian of children, protect
ing them against both parents and
would-be employers.”
At the same time, it has been point
ed out by informed observers, the state
has the duty of providing necessary
resources and support to the parents of
the children who would go to school
rather than to work. Positive efforts
must be initiated to mitigate the hard
ships and practical problems these
families would face. ■
Frontline, May 2,1997
policy should be done away with, as
all employment of children is per se
hazardous to the well-being of the
child,
8) that an adequate and effective
social security system should be put
in place as a measured step towards
preventing children from being dri
ven into child labour,
9) that the Government of India
and State governments should
undertake a comprehensive survey
of child labour in all sectors, organ
ised and unorganised, and that this
should lead to the early formulation
of a comprehensive policy to end
child labour,
10)
that there should be commu
nity involvement in the measures for
the development of the child and
^^elimination of child labour at the
W!1 of the panchayats, and
11)
we regard child labour as
essentially a domestic problem and
since the recent initiatives to include
a Social Clause in multilateral trade
agreements are designed merely to
serve the protectionist interests of
developed countries, they should be
resisted.
While we believe that the above
recommendations will go a long way
in eliminating the obnoxious prac
tice of child labour, we emphasise
the need for a broad and integrated
approach including measures in the
areas of health, nutrition, child care,
employment, housing, enforcement
of minimum
wages and land
reform.
(Sd.)
(l)Muchkund Dubey
(Former Foreign Secretary,
^•Government of India)
^^2) N. Ram
(Editor, Frontline)
(3) T. S. Shankaran
(Former Secretary
Ministry of Labour,
Government of India)
(4) Justice Leila Seth
(Retd. Chief Justice,
Himachal Pradesh High Court)
(5) Prof. Yash Pal
(Former Chairman,
University Grants Commission)
(6) Indira Jaising
(Senior Advocate,
Supreme Court)
(7)
Justice Rajinder Sacchar
(Retd. Judge, Delhi High Court)
(8) R. Venkataramani
(Supreme Court Senior
Advocate)
New Delhi
March 31, 1997
Frontline, May 2,1997
measures be initiated to safeguard the
girl child in the matter of schooling
and in society. The girl child suffers
the double disadvantage of discrimina
tion and deprivation - in society and in
the workplace. Another significant rec
ommendation was that child labour be
recognised essentially as a national
problem. This is necessary in the con
text of the initiatives taken by the
developed countries to introduce a
social clause in multilateral trade
agreements, which would mainly serve
their own protectionist interests.
In December 1996, the Supreme
Court, in its judgment in M.C. Mehta
versus the State of Tamil Nadu, gave
directions on improving the quality of
life of children employed in factories,
on the payment of compensation, and
so on. The jury suggested the enforce
ment of these directives. Among the
other suggestions made by the jury
were the creation of an effective social
security system to prevent children
from going back to their old profes
sions, a survey of child labour in the
organised and unorganised sectors
leading to the formulation of a policy
seeking to put an end to child labour
and steps to involve the community at
the panchayat level in the efforts to
develop the child and eliminate child
labour.
HE convention organised by the
CACL was the culmination of a
series of public hearings held in
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh and Karnataka early this year.
Children working in brick kilns, in
agriculture, in saree and silk weaving
units, in the construction industry, in
grain markets, sugarcane fields, in
hosiery units, and in the beedi and
match industries attended the conven
tion. Although the 1986 Act prohibits
. employment of children under the age
of 14 in the beedi, construction and
match industries, children from these
areas, all under 14, were present and
deposed before the jury. They includ
ed 12-year old Mamita Sahu from a
beedi factory in Orissa, 13-year-old
Arjun from a construction site in
Gujarat and 13-year-old Thangamani
from a match factory in Tamil Nadu.
In a statement, the CACL reiterated
its commitment to the eradication of
child labour in all sectors. Criticising
the new economic policy (NEP)
launched in 1991, the CACL said:
“The NEP with its market-dominated
paradigm has ensured deregulation of
labour laws, accelerated retrenchment,
led to the informalisation of labour,
depression in adult wages and greater
inflation.”
According to the CACL, the Child
T
Labour (Prohibition and Regulation)
Act, 1986 operates from the paradigm
of regulating child labour and has a
number of legalistic and procedural
lacunae. The major lacuna was that the
Act covered only the organised sectors,
leaving out the unorganised sector
which employs 85 per cent of child
labourers” Alpa Vora of the CACL
said that the 1986 Act legalised child
labour by making a distinction
between hazardous and non-hazardous occupations.
Presenting the CACL’s stand on child
labour before the jury, Ossie Fernandes,
director of the Human Rights Advocacy
and Research Foundation, pointed out
that tire United Nations (Article 1 in
U.N. Convention on the Rights of the
Child) defines a person below 18 years as
a child. He suggested that in the long run
India could consider raising the mini
mum employable age from 14 to 18.
A significant fact that was highlight
ed by the convention was that a major
ity of child labourers work in
agriculture - as hired labourers, as part
of the family workforce or as bonded
labourers. According to the 1981 cen
sus, about 86.4 per cent of child work
ers are employed in agricultural and
allied activities. The 1986 Act had no
provision regarding child labour in this
sector. An International Labour
Organisation (ILO) convention laid
down in 1921 that children under 14
years should not be employed in pri
vate or public agricultural undertak
ings except outside the hours fixed for
school attendance. India has not rati
fied this convention as agriculture
comes under the unorganised sector,
and the 1986 Act applies only to the
organised sector. India has also not
ratified
the
Minimum
Age
Employment
(Non-industrial)
Convention No. 33 prohibiting the
employment of children under 13
because the convention applies to the
unorganised sector.
bolishing child labour is a
much-debated issue. It has often
been held, incorrectly, that India must
eliminate mass income-poverty before
it can put all children in school.
American political scientist Myron
Weiner, who has carried out research
in India for more than 40 years, pre
sents a different vision (Frontline, April
27-May 10 and May 11-24). In his
book, The Child and the State in India
(Princeton University Press, U.S.,
1991), Weiner has shown that the abo
lition of child labour and the establish
ment of compulsory schooling precede
a general rise in basic living standards.
In fact, these are conditions precedent
for rapid economic growth. For
A
113
A progressive Act delayed
Asha Krishnakumar
in Chennai
HREE years since the landmark
Tamil
Nadu
Elementary
Education Bill was passed by the
State Assembly, the legislation is yet
to be formally notified and imple
mented.
The passing of the Bill was a land
mark event because one section of
the Bill put it in a different league
from all education laws that preceded
it, in Tamil Nadu and in the rest of
India. The provision is in Section 3,
lA'hich states, very simply, that when
Wie Act is in force, education shall be
compulsory for every child of school
age. Unlike previous laws, the Bill
I declares elementary’ education to be
I compulsory, without further provisos
| or qualifications, throughout the Children going to school in Chennai.
State of Tamil Nadu.
The Bill was passed in the Education Department, the State
Assembly in May 1994 and sent Government sent a request to the
immediately for the assent of the Union Government (this was done
President of India. Seven months “by October 1995”) to give assent to
' later, in December 1994, the Centre the Bill on the condition that Section
informed
the
Tamil
Nadu 5(1) would be deleted. Following
Government that assent could be this, the President’s assent was given
given only if Section 5(1) - providing in November 1995, on the under
one of the exemptions for the imple standing that the State Government
mentation of ±e Bill - was deleted. (which, according to Section 1 (3) of
Section 5 (1) reads: “Attendance at the Act, reserves the powers to notify
an elementary’ school for a child of the Act) would delete Section 5(1)
school age shall not be compulsory if before it notified the Act.
Although the Bill became an Act
there is no elementary school within
such distance as may be notified by in November 1995 - even if condi
the Government, from the residence tional on the deletion of Section 5(1)
^kf such child.” This provision was - it has not been amended or notified
Ween as being against the spirit of the in order that it can be implemented.
legislation, since it envisaged the Neither the All India Anna Dravida
exemption of a child from compulso Munnetra Kazhagam Government
ry education on the grounds that the (AIADMK) during the last five
state itself had failed to provide a months of its rule, nor the Dravida
school within a reasonable distance Munnetra
Kazhagam
(DMK)
of a child’s home. Indeed, Section Government, which has been in
5(1) could be seen as being at vari power since April 1996, has taken the
ance with the assurance implicit in final steps to ensure that the Act
Section 3(2) of the Bill, which said becomes the law of the land. This
that in order to give effect to the pro delay occurred despite both govern
visions of the Bill, “the Government ments having a good relationship
shall provide such number of ele with the Centre in lite relevant peri
mentary schools in the State with ods.
trained teachers, as may be neces
According
to
A4.A.
Gowri
sary.”
Shankar, Secretary, Department of
After several rounds of communi Education in Tamil Nadu, before
cation with the Union Government, notification Section 5(1) has to be
which took about 10 months, the deleted and the amended Bill passed
Tamil Nadu Government agreed to once again in the State Assembly.
the Centre’s suggestion. According Although the State Government can,
to sources in the Tamil Nadu technically, notify the Act as it is, the
T
Frontline, May 2,1997
Tamil Nadu Government, according
to Gowri Shankar, wants to “honour
the commitment made to the
Government of India” by deleting
Section 5(1) before notifying it.
Gowri Shankar says that the State
Government is determined to imple
ment the Act in the next academic
year. If this is to happen, the Tamil
Nadu Government should expedite
the notification of the Act.
The Education Secretary said that
the Education Department will work
out a new Action Plan (the previous
AIADMK Government had one
ready when it sent tire Bill for assent;
Frontline, February’ 24, 1995).
According to Gowri Shankar, the
most important task after the notifi
cation of the Act is to build aware
ness and put social pressure on
parents to send their children to
school as universal elementary edu
cation cannot be achieved by “coer
cion”.
Apart from the prerequisite of
large-scale investment on teachers
and school infrastructure, the estab
lishment of public authorities and
community control measures at local
levels are crucial for the implementa
tion of the Act.
Nevertheless, the initial condition
is a sense of political urgency on this
score, the lack of which has ham
pered, in the last three years, the
implementation of one of tire most
progressive Acts in India’s recent
educational history. ■
SRI LANKA
A step forward
The PA.-UNP accord on the ethnic question
the accord as “a step on a long road,”
Kadirgamar read out the letters and a
statement prepared by him.
In the letters, the two leaders have
recognised that the resolution of the
ethnic conflict will restore peace and
lead to the development, progress and
prosperity of the country. “It is an
issue transcending partisan politics.
The development of a genuinely bipar
tisan approach to the resolution of the
ethnic conflict is vital to the achieve
ment of a permanent solution to the
conflict,” they said.
The two leaders agreed that the
“incumbent head of Government will
brief and seek the opinion of the leader
of the United National Party on signif
icant developments relating to the eth
nic conflict, both in the strictest
confidence; if in Government, the
HE impossible has happened.
leader of the United National Party
The ruling People’s Alliance
will reciprocate.”
(P.A.) and the opposition United
The most significant part of the
National Party (UNP), bitter rivals in
accord is the undertaking by the party
the elections to the local bodies in
in opposition that it “will not under
March, have agreed to resolve Sri
mine any discussions or decisions
Lanka’s ethnic crisis on the basis of a
between any party in Government and
British-brokered accord. This is con
any other party, group or person,
sidered a landmark development
including the Liberation Tigers
because the UNP and the Sri Lankan
Tamil Eelam, aimed at resolving
Freedom Party (SLFP), a major con
ethnic conflict, if these discussions and
stituent of the ruling alliance, have a
decisions have taken place with the
record of opposing each other’s proconcurrence of the party in opposiposals at various points of
tion... Against the background
time to redress the griev
of such concurrence, on elec
ances of the minority Tamil
tion to Government either
community. The level of
party will honour all such
distrust
and
acrimony
decisions in full.”
between them could be
Analysts point out that
understood from the fact
never in the 50-year history of
that the two sides needed a
independent Sri Lanka have
third-country intervention
the major political parties
to arrive at a common
agreed
on
a
common
approach to the ethnic issue.
approach to the ethnic crisis
Most observers were
as they have done now. In
taken by surprise when it
fact, each party has bitterly
was announced on April 3
opposed the other party’s
that President Chandrika
proposals for peace. The
Kumaratunga
and
Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement of
UNP
leader
Ranil
1987, signed by Indian Prime
Wickremasinghe
had
Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri
reached an agreement on
Lankan
President
J.R.
solving the ethnic issue.
Jayewardene, is a case
point. The SLFP took Sc
British Secretary of State
Malcolm Rifkind visited
hardline Sinhala position and
Colombo in August last.
opposed the accord. Of
Following up on Rifkind’s
course, the two parties did
initiative, Under Secretary
come to an understanding in
Liam Fox visited the coun
the
Parliamentary
Select
try three times. During his
Committee but it was boy
one-day visit on April 2, Fox
cotted by all the Tamil
met Kumaratunga, Wickre
groups.
masinghe
and
Foreign
The April 2 accord, apart
Minister Lakshman Kadir
from envisaging talks with the
gamar.
LTTE,
says
that
the
On April 3, Kadirgamar,
Opposition leader will be
who has played a key role in
taken into confidence during
making the accord possible,
any crucial discussions. Also,
announced at a press con
it recognises the possibility of
ference that Kumaratunga
a change in the political for
and Wickremasinghe had President Chandrika Kumaratunga holds a book and a
tunes of the two principal
exchanged identically-word brick contributed by a student to be used in the rebuilding of Sinhala parties. Irrespective of
ed letters setting out a the Jaffna library, which was burnt down during the ethnic
the question of who is in
framework within which violence 16 years ago. On April 10, the Govenmcnt
power, the UNP and die P.A.
they would work to solve the launched a $12-million programme to rebuild the library,
have agreed to honour any
ethnic problem. Describing which was considered a treasure-house of Tamil literature.
decisions taken as per the
Amu Baruah
in Colombo
T
Frontline, May 2,1997
ECOLOGY WATCH
Cleaning the Ridge
THE CAPITAL’S LONGEST CONTIGUOUS 'LUNG' SPACE—THE RIDGE—WILL NOW BREATHE EASIER. THE
demolition of the Delhi Polo Club last month following a Supreme Court order may have come as a surprise—
its members include the capital's rich and famous—but the past two years have seen the eviction of
encroachers on the Ridge. After it was declared a ‘re
serve forest" in 1994. under the 1927 Indian Forests
Act. encroachments like slums and allotments includ
ing army camps and residential complexes have been
targeted. The Delhi Development Authority alone re
moved 163 encroachments in June 1995. Lastmonth.
unauthorised marble quarries were closed down. But
much remains to be done. According to estimates. 70
per cent of the Ridge's central portion has been en
croached upon. With only 6 per cent of Delhi's area
^kvered by the Ridge—experts say 20 per cent should
oe under tree cover—the action has come just in time.
Rare Riches in a Wasteland
GUJARAT USUALLY BRINGS TO MIND UNPROMISING IMAGES OF ARID
wastelands and salty marshes. But a recent survey commissioned by the state's
Ecology' Commission revealed an abundance of flora and fauna. The state has
as many as 1.933 species of algae. 210 of themmarine-based.lt is home to 12
per cent of the country's flora, with over 2.198 species of higher plants be
longing to 902 genera and 155 families. Gujarat, in fact, is the only state where
such rare mammals
as the lion and the
Indian wild ass are
found. While the
survey does register
an increase in num
bers. it warns that
habitats are being
eroded. The study.
however, is based on
secondary sources
and much of the in
formation is sketchy.
Another round is
called for.
WITH 1 2 MILLION HEADS OF I
fl
i
S
■
9
I
H
■;
8
s
(l
A
8
■'
B
B
,
I
S
..
cattle afflicted with the mad cow
disease—bovine spongiform encephalopathy—listed to be killed
in Britain, the UK-based World
Hindu Council (whc) rushed to
offer them sanctuary in India.
Later, perhaps cowed by the adversereaction, the body clarified
that it wanted the sanctuaries
set up worldwide, and not in India alone. Officials at the Union
Animal Husbandry and Dairing
Department were aghast. Said
Secretary K. Rajan: "We cannot
lake any chances and introduce
an exotic disease into India. The
livestock sector is crucial to our
economy." Ecologists are not excited by the wuc offer either—
India's 500 million cows are a
majorcauseof its deforestation.
The wuc proposal seems set to
die with the English cows.
8
J
|
3
3
J
a
!!
8
8
a
||
1
8
|l
9
i!
I
■
:
—compiled bjr subiiadka menon and
SAYANTAN CIIAKRAVARTY
APRIL 10. 1996 ♦ INDIA TODAY 1 37
CK" &'
ENKATESH. (12 years) ofGudlbanda
village in Anekal taluk. Bangalore
district, was bonded at the age of five
I years to a rich, land-owning (Gowda) family In
I Somalapuni village against a loan of Rs 7.600
: taken for performing his sister’s marriage. His
The
(bondage*. “.My father never used to drink. He
g« ■: chest pain and died. My mother died of un
unknown disease." says Vcnkatesh. The
children took loans, again to perform the
funeral ceremonies of their parents. Groundnut
grown on one and a half acres of his father's
land was being given to the landlord towards
these loans. Venkatesh's grandfather used to
own 20 acres. But now. all their lands are
pledged to some landlord or the other against
loans taken from time to lime.
When Venkatesh began working as a
| bonded labourer at the age of five, he was not
ven much work to do. In fact, he iused to play
—riven
Ll.U
.1— landlord
1-- JI--- I’’s.. children
-LSI.I--- l_in.Lthe
e eVen
Ith the
t jngS
ter u
they
lt_, returned from school. He used to be
verbally abused, but never beaten, by the
Gowda family. At the age office, his annual
wages were a mere Rs. 300. This was In
addition to food and two sets ofclothing a year.
His wages were raised by Rs. 100 each year
and he was drawing Rs. 1.000 when he was
released from bondage six months ago by
Jeevika. (Jeet Vimukti Karnataka) a non
government organisation. He was not given
the wages but the amount was adjusted
against the loan.
His landlords owned 40 acres of irrigated
land and 30 acres of rain-fed land. There were
eight borewells and three wells. Venkatesh
would get up at 4-30 a.m. and clean the buffalo
shed. He would cut grass for the eight buffaloes
on the farm. Next, he would water the fields on
which grew beans, onions, chililcs, potatoes.
brinlals. cabbage and groundnut. At 8 a.m. he
would milk three buffaloes, feed the calves and
bring the milk to the dairy. At nine he would
have breakfast consisting of two and a half
muddes and some curry.
After breakfast, he would set off to graze the
buffaloes in the nearby forest. For lunch, he
would eat tubers or fruit from trees like the
tamarind or pipal. Sometimes he would get a
share in the lunch brought by the other boys
who also came to graze their cows. He had to
keep his plate and his few ragged clothes in the
buffalo shed. He used to sleep in the verandah
as he was of a lower caste and was hence not
^^llowed to enter the landlord's house.
Venkatesh was released from bondage by
T"Jeevika. He studied for six months in the camp
school Jeevika runs and now attends the fifth
standard of a forma! school while staying In a
free government hosteL
|
If his labour, while he worked as a bonded
«
week to his wife for running the household.
Yellappa's mother, Gowramma. therefore, used
to take money from her husband's shirt pocket
when he was asleep. Sometimes, she hud to
take loans even to buy the 10 kg of ragl. three
kg of rice and other rations that they needed
which cost in all cost Rs. 200 a week.
Gowramma had let her eldest son study up
to the VIII Standard. But when her youngest
son died for some unknown reason.
Gowramma removed Yellappa from school to.
keep him close to her. fearing that he would
also die.
Venkatesh was bonded at the age of five to a rich land-owning
Gowramma used to work as a brick-currier
a brick-making unit and she took Yellappa *
family against a loan of Rs. 7.000, which should have been wiped at
along to work with her when he was ten. Theywould set off for work at 7 a.m. They would
reach the workspot at 8 a m. and have
out within a year. Yet. his having to work for seven long years
breakfast there before starting work at 8-30 •
a m. W ork ended at 5-30 p.m. Gowramma
points to the exploitation faced by bonded labourers.
would get one token for every’ ten bricks that
she carried up. One token was equivalent to 45
paise and she would collect 100 tokens a day.
labourer, had been calculated at the rate of Rs.
father been educated he would have known the Yellappa could cany’ only seven bricks at a
28 a day. which was the minimum wage rate
economics of the loan: the yearly repayment
time tor which he got a token valued at 2 5
prevailing six years ago. his monthly earnings
expected of him (more than Rs. 1.000) was
paise. He would earn Rs. 70-80 a week. The
would have been about Rs. 840 and his annual obviously higher than the yearly return he was maistry had given him a pair of trousers and a
earnings Rs. 10.080. Even ifan interest of 15
getting on the investment ofthe child's labour
shirt for New Year.
per cent per annum was paid on the loan and
(Rs. 300 to begin with). The net result had to
Yellappa is fond of his mot herhut dors not
the cost of the food provided to him deducted at be improverishmenl and loss of assets as he
like his father. Siddappa had once tried to crush
the rate of Rs. 200 a month, his loan should
would have to pay the difference out of his own his wife's head with a boulder. She needed
have been wiped out in a little over a year's
band.
several stitches on her head to stop the flow of
time. That he worked for more than six years
“Even now, our land papers are with the
blood. Yellappa's elder brother had broken his
landlords. And my uncle is doing jecla (bonded
fathers arm once in a fit of rage against him.
labour). I want to study for an .M. A. however
Siddappa had to take a loan to get cured.
difficult it may be I want to study more than
Gowramma's brother had advised Yellappa •
the Gowda and free our lands from him. I want to join the camp school run by Jeevika. He had
to get into government service like the Gowda," given him Rs. 10 and sent him there. Yellappa
says Venkatesh.
. is now happy in the camp school. He likes
and that the loan ofRs. 7.000 was still not paid
Yellappa (12 years) of Sarjapur village in
studying Kannada, English. Social Studies and
off, points to the cnid exploitation that he was
Anekal taluk started to work as a brick-carrier
Science, but not Maths and Hindi. He likes
subjected to. In fact, Venkatesh had repaid his
at the age of ten. His father. Siddappa. worked
playing cricket with the other boys which he is
debt almost six times over.
as a silk-twister, but being a drunkard, he
able to do for the first time in his life. He wants
Under these killing terms of credit, which
worked only on two or three days a week. He
to study up to SSLC. ■
ensure that loans are never paid off however
could cam Rs. 300 a week if he worked
tong or hard you work, it is no wonder that
regularly. And he invariably spent Rs. Six a
KATHYAY1NICHAMARAJ
Venkatesh’s illiterate grandfather and father
day on arink. He had even sold the one acre of
This study was made jx*ssibic by the support of
lost all their lands to thebetter-educiited, and
land that had belonged to the family to satisfy
UNICEF. Department of Labour (Government of
hence powerful. Gowdas.' Had Venkatesh's
his thirst for drink. He gave only Rs. 50-100 a
Karnataka and the National Ch'ld labour Project)..
Of inhuman
bondage
ISSUES
n lie limelight for one day only
DH News Service
BANGAIXJRE. Nov 12
“We are remembered only on
Children's Day and later blissfully
forgotten by society and the gov
ernment" This was the common
refrain of a group of child laltotir
ers. who poured out their hearts
at an interactive session here
today.
Addressing a press conference.
they said: "Nobody actually cares
about us. We are only given choc
olates for Children's Day and sent
hack."
Challakumar Is a case in point.
A child labourer today, he used to
enjoy going to school. But econ
omic problems at home had forced
him to drop out and work at con
struction sites for a year to sup
port the family before he was en
rolled by an NGO. He is currently
learning screen printing at an
NGO.
_____
Similar is the case of Nagaveni
who^teted on the streets and
worl^Rs a domestic help. "Chil
dren like us are not visible to the
government," she said. When ask
ed why she didn't attend a govern
ment school where free education
is provided, she said: "Only if
someone tells us about such
schemes will we be able to use
them."
<
A
Eight-year-old Nagaveni speaks out on child rights at a press con
ference in Bangalore on Friday.
DH Photo
Shivamallu's father was mur
dered and the accused, his mother,
had to serve a prison term. He was
pul In n remand home but was
never sent to school. He was pick
ed up by Janodaya organisation,
which lias sent him to school. He
wants to become a social worker
with the NGO and save other chil
dren like him.
For Narayan and Sunanda who
worked ;in silk reeling and twist
ing units, Manjula. a domestic
.
help and Johnson, a rag picker, the
stories are no less different. They
have nil sulfored exploitation nt
(he hands of their poor families
and employers who extracted
more work and paid less.
Irfanullah. a physically chal
lenged 15-ycar-old spoke of rights
for disabled children Including
special toilets in schools and
ramps instead of steps for easy mo
bility. A Sri Lankan refugee boy
spoke of the needs of refugee chil
r
dren in India. "We are not given
nutritious food and most of us are
denied access to education. I re
quest the Government to help us,"
he pleaded.
The United Nations General As
sembly accepted the Geneva Con
Ventlon on the Rights of the Child
in November 1989, which India
ratified in 1992. Despite this, chil
dren's rights have not been enforc
ed due to lack of awareness.
Hence.
nongovernment
organisations in Bangalore de
cided to shift emphasis from child
welfare to child rights and em
power children.
As a result, with the support of
some Government departments, 17
NGOs
including
Madhyam,
Makkala Sahaya Vani, BOSCO.
Chiguru. Paraspara, Janodaya and
others, began a "Child Rights
Campaign” being held from No
vember 3 to 20, to highlight the
issue through media and internet
cnnipiilgiis, street plays mid fairs.
ACTION PLAN: Labour Com
missioner Lukose Vallathurai who
also addressed the press confer
ence, said his department was pre
paring an action plan on the issue
of child rights with the underlying
principle of "Education for all",
and will present It to the Stale
Government In the next two
weeks.
r
They get chocolates one day in a year
vention on Rights of the Child as
early ns 1992 to join a band of over
1G(> countries which are supposed
to be working towards a bettor
Just a year ago. In October 1998,
the Commissioner of labour in
quality of life for children. The
the
along with department
main focus has shifted from look
staft^Bl members of the Caming at childred as objects of
I paign Against Child Labour
welfare to empowering them as
sert their rights.
I (CACLt organisation, inspected 14
| silk twisting units in Magadi taluk
"The entire development para
I and rescued 53 bonded child ladigm has shifted from welfare to
i (tourers under 14 years of age.
empowerment to rights. It is now
; The children had been employed
a question of basic human dignity
of children," said Ms Munira Sen.
in gross violation of the Factories
excutive director of the non-govAct. 1948. Bonded Labour System
I (Abolition) Act. 1976. Children
emine nt development communica
tions organisation. Madhyam.
(Pledging of Labour) Act. 1993, and
which is facilitating the present
! judgements of the Supreme Court
campaign against child labour by
and Karnataka High Court. None
Lukose
Vallathurai,
action
has
several NGOs In the <'i'y
i of the factories ins|>ec(ed had sani
been initiated Io rehabilitate tilt*
1 tation or drinking waler facilities
According tn Mr Son! George.
| and most children had worked for rescued children and send them to all-India head of policy and re
formal or non-fortnal schools.
ten m four years.
search at Child Relief 4- You
As
the
nation
celebrates
Chil
(CRY), there is a need for reposi
They ’-•-■ent paid Ks 2 io Rs 3 per
I hour and worked from 7 am to 9 dren's Day today, tor these and tioning a child from being prop
pm They handled winding ma many more children, it is just one erty of a family" whose decisions
chines. doubled and twisted day when they are pampered with are taken, to an individual with
spindles and corrected deviations a few chocolates, as noted by rights. "The shift has happened at
During work, the children were young Challakumar. Nagaveni. policy levels but has not become a
not allowed to sit or speak and Sunanda. Shivatnallu and several reality in this country. The shill
has to happen in the public mind."
were beaten if found talking. Ac other rehabilitated children.
India ratified the Geneva Con he said.
cording to labour Commissioner
DH News Service
BANGALORE. Nov 1.1
However, he admitted that re
positioning <i child within a lannly
itself is a difficult task as people
don't believe in such individual
ity. He also noted that NGQs can
only reach out at a micro level. If
change has to happen at macro
level, all forms of media, even
films, should play an important
role, he said.
Speaking about the goal of
NGOs. Mr George said they will
locus'on direct action with home
less. abused and disabled children
"so that can enjoy some of their
childhood". Apart from awareness
campaigns, they will also work
with a holistic approach as "it is
the responsibility of those who influence children, to change their
thinking and give children a b- ter future".
"At the policy level, our goal is
to see that the 83rd Amendhtetu
of tile Constituion providing right
to education to children, .becomes
a reality and new legislations
covering street children are fram
ed," Mr George said. He also spoke
about the need for a monitoring
mechanism in the form of a Chil
dren’s Commission to monitor pol
icies and legislations.
CITY
A painful start
for a
bright future!
By Our Staff Reporter
! BANGALORE, Nov. 12. For a change,
, it was the rum of children to ad
dress the Press here on Friday.
The issue: Children's rights.
The children spoke of the pain: ful experiences they had under■ gone before being picked for
I rehabilitation by non- govemi ment organisations (NGOs), who
■ organised the Press conference.
^he of the "spokespersons'',
i bflpila (13), said she worked as a
: domestic servant after her father
’ abandoned her mother to marry
another woman. "My mother had
four children to bring up," she
I pointed out.
1
She said that her masters
tortured her and gave such heavy
! load of work that she could never
i exercise her "right to play" as a
i child. Only after being rehabilitat, ed by Paraspara that she started
I playing and going to school. "I
stand first in my class," she
;* claimed.
She wanted every child to be
I educated. "There should be
I equality. I see lot of atrocities be| ing committed against women,"
she said and added that she
would become a policewoman
and rescue them.
i
But, Nagaveni (12) was most
| vocal in criticising the Govern' rr^^for failing to enable the chil1 di^mo enjoy their rights. She was
' upset that child issues were not
: being highlighted by the media.
I Children should be told what faI cilities they could avail of from
4 the Government, she said.
I
Narayana (12), formerly a
i j bonded labourer, feels that chil' dren do have a right to be "free
i birds.” But a large number of chilI dren were not enjoying it Now
! studying in class V, his aim is to
| become a lawyer.
Sunanda (13) of Magadi said
i her father's death had forced her
- to work in silk industry. It was by
1 chance that she was rehabilitated
: and given education. She hopes
: to become a doctor and rid the
■ poor of their diseases.
The children later released bal| loons with pro-children slogans
I in the air.
i The NGOs are involving these
i children in "Child Rights CamI paign”, which started on Novemi ber 3.
ZL
2^
ZL
pccpjccp $cp^?>c.-y ea'fpe POPA Jpov/vpop pic'jcji ’cpAM^cppc pcp'fcpcc>J^in
i rf? SH JLhiLhn "
Sp g
no liHi
,i
§
.2
?
~ q a it'\x 2 $ - *l<* S
Mi
? ’
fl§ -
a. V
p
§ k t£ i aplfn I h §:! i‘a
a
p
MWWhi'hiliyiilii’
ihlHKh hkbt Hl
•5 a a
CHILDREN
Successive governments In Karnataka have
claimed that bonded labour has been wiped out.
But this barbaric practice exists even on the
outskirts of a cosmopolitan city like Bangalore.
KAV1THA K writes about the efforts of a
voluntary group In rehabilitating bonded child
labourers In Anekal taluk
Freed by human bond
HERE Is a haunting sadness in
11-year-old Radga's eye*. Sitting
hunched up in a 'classroom* in
Anekal, ha stiffens when’ ho see* a
strange face. He darts nervous glance*
T
ive Assembly, it was forced to direct
deputy commisioners to call for appli
cations and begin the process of reha*
bUltatlon," recalls Kiran.
But the most terrible setback was yet
to come. Suddenly, a majority of the
identified bonded labourers b and
around Anekal and Sarjapura withdrew
their petitions, claiming that they were
marginal farmers! 'Threat* and toddy
must have done the trick," say
Jeevika'* volunteers, wryly. Around the
same time. Kiran was diagnosed with
and leave their children behind.
writing them off as dead!" says
Ramakrishna. a volunteer at Jeevika.
How Jeevika discovered society's
murky underbelly is quite a strange sto
ry. Kiran. a student of anthroplogy and
----------- —----- -------------... « -v » former Jesuit, began visiting
termined to build a future. He wilTonly Handenahalll village (Sarjapura hobli,
reveal sketchy details of life back Anekal taluks) in connection with an
home... when he watched other children «dult literacy programme in 1906. There
in hfa village near Sarjapura playing were a large number of Dalit families
boisterous games while he cleaned cow- in the village Finding in some of them gramme of conscientixation of bonded
sheds and courtyards in hfa dhanl's enthusiastic learners; he began staying labour, especially bonded child labour.
house.
with them.
One evening, he happened to watch a
But Kiran soon earned the wrath of
street jflay pn bonded labour by a group the dominant ca-.tea in the village who
called Jeevika. It seemed to him that spread the rumour that he was a
they were enacting hfa daily routine. By missionary. out-to-convert the youth!
.■— ----------------- -------- j v . what the rumour mills couldn't achive.
had made up hfa mind. He wouldn't brute force did.
stay and slave. He ran away and follow
When Dalit youth, encouraged by
ed Jeevika to Anekal.
Kiran. organised cycle jathas to spread
-------------------------- ,------ awarensa on issues like alcoholism and
Ranga on. our doorsteps. They are de- illiteracy, the hl-march y tn the village
termined not to go back to their parents shook and shuddered. A social boycott
and dhonfa," say* an unruffled Kiran of dal its was declared. Kiran was beaten
Kamal Prasad, founder of Jeevika or UP ■»»<* told *’t‘» U«ve these people to
Jerta Vimukti Karnataka, a non gov- their fate".
ernment organisation working for
Local police stepped In and during
Identlfylnf .nd abohsblnc bonded la- the
,J „,
lrs. <>f „„
,n-utry lire
u,..„
course
the inquiry,
the then
hour, specially bonded child labour. In Supennrend. nl of Follcv, Prabh. Ran
Iho.ure.
„kM1 Klrjn , ,|mlnainl qu„(|0n:
Jeevika. which by now had 30 fullThe Bonded Labour (Abolition) Act
passed in 1976 declared bonded bbour in this vill ig. Kiran was stumped. lime staff and 75 part-time volunteers,
then, he had no idca that such a started surveys In 48 taluks of
a crime. Successive governments claim- Until---... tven ejfatc^
too
ed that bodied bbour had been wiped ----practise
loo Jn
Jn aa Karnataka and came up with astounding
findings: 19.000 bonded labourer* tn
out. unmindfiil of the fact that countless Ph>ce on the fringes of a cosmopolitan
the agricultural sector, with men and
little Rangas were being driven to a life ‘*i,v
of sweat and toll when they should have
But his otlu-r Mend* — the dalit boys ures. Jeevika fa sure, will triple if bondJwen In school. Such desperate children
'3 ‘JT '-‘’’I
°'rcrpl ,ood
»l"> » >■>' "f « bonded labourer,
•od shelter. Their parents are contacted Tint was Just the bejlimln.
Threading its way past a stony
and counselled and If they a tree fwhlrh
By 1990. Jnivyja lud tabulated data bureaucracy, opportunistic politicians
enrolled into a bridge course run by the on ls.nd.,1 l-il.'ur »lu, lhe help ot the
Computer
l>. |‘.uiment of St Joseph's
group before they gain admission into
Erenlns
in“
AU
this
while
Hie
government schools.
promises of n-hahiltntion right away.
KOvrmnrenl h.id been de.nyintt Ui.n
Tlie task fa uphill. Especially because bondid labour even eiUtcd. llut when The group wanted to identify bonded la
bourers first and then help them make
most of these boys are spirited away by
a representation to the deputy comnus
“It could be my parent*. They may
and to a life of Jetta (bonded labour),"
he intones, flatly.
4
their parents to repay real and fudged
debts taken from -the landlord. “So.
many times parents have been incited
to Ale complaints of kidnapping against
sioners.so that their rights were not
abused.*'it is the government’s duty to
rehabilitate them. It has the money and
the machinery, so why should it shirk
reponsibility?" Kiran thought.
But Jeevika soon found itself involv
ed with children who were bonded to a
life of misery. They were confident that
if these children could be admitted to
school and educated, the evil practice
would stop.
With guidance from the Mamidipudi
Venkatarangalah
Foundation
in
Rayareddy District of Andhra Pradesh
and suggestions from advisors like Prof
Babu Mathew and Hasan Mansur.
Those working for jeevika
believe that one way of
ensuring the end of the
practice of bonded labour
would be to admit children
to schools and educating
them
bonded child labourers would be taunht
the three R's unit »r>.i ..... .
...
Bill the hoy, do have treihlnc
IrnuMre when It conic schoollns.
•Most of them lack concentration end
they find snttnc In one place difflcul:
bright spots in their otherwise h.
Trudging from village to villag
to school, not to the fields.
vimukthl deshakke shakthi." (Fr
from bonded labour will make a
try strong) they shout tn the atroe
awareness. Sometime*, they don't
but they are confident someone
where will help.
It was a moment of triumph for
when a landlord in the Yammare
panchayat volunteered to support
activities and provide ragi for the
we have no time to fnllow up on
day when aid from agencies likqXh
or CRY may dry up.
The flind crunch has motivated
fund nurng. There U Ulk ot Invol
fair price drpou .nd milk ovopvrei.
In vlU.se. In their eilorti. Terh
tunUIre an pay ■ nominal wm <
to school' programme." *Ug
volunteers. "Money fa always
«re yet io go to villages In the bockw
districts of north Karnataka. We h
more to be done." they add.
---------- -mtn an
dearlns imlie. motinit hl. tom shoerenes boundins In. "SZioZrev Aosab,
(I » am to to Kbool).-.
wtp|
nil running nov on the back oZ 1
muddy hand. His parent, shuffle
hesitantly. Can Jrevtka help their ch
achieve a life belter than theirscontact Kiran Kamal 1‘rasad
MIOIM Vmiukli Trust functio
Achievements like v
CH - 3 UPBEAT
An Angel of
the Streets
Shabbir Soni is one Mumbai motorist who would never drive
past a person in distress. For, taking care of dying destitutes
and looking after abandoned children is the mission of this
businessman whose compassion knows no fixed hours.
BySMRUTI KOPP1KAR
OMEONE IS DYING ON THE
pavement. Make your choice.
Either stop your car. pick him
up—even
though
he'scovered
with
festering
sores
and sup
purating wounds—pul him in the back
seat where he’ll stain the covers, and
drive him to help. Or just look, wonder
about your new covers, feel pity—if at
all—for a second and then move on.
Most of us. for a variety of reasons, drive
on. Shabbir Soni always stops. That is
enough to make him unique.
At first glance Soni is no different
from anyone, there is nothing arrest
ing about him. Bearded, bespectacled.
he is just another businessman in
Mumbai, a successful dealer-retailer
for paints. He is a believer too (“Ido my
nn»i«z”)butreligion. he says, has noth
ing to do with his concern. It's just that
while other men believe they are com
passionate. Soni actually Is. It is that
simple. He has helped set up a blood
banlf: he takes disabled children on pic
nics; he has started the Anand
Ashram, a home for 65 abandoned
children. And he always picks up the
dying from the pavement.
37737762 and 3743441. These
telephone numbers are familiar to
thousands in Mumbai. It is a helpline.
and whenever anyone sees a person in
distress, they call; Soni is the man at the
other end of the line. In a soft, staccato
voice, he asks for precise directions.
thanks the caller, leaves what he is do
ing and gets into his car. Soon he Is
snaking through the maddening Mum
bai traffic as fast as he can. Life Is hang
ing on to the fringes of hope somewhere
and he must reach as soon as he can.
When he arrives at the spot, he at
tempts a conversation: sometimes he Is
met with quiet acquiescence, often with
S
84 INDIA TODAY ♦ |HL¥21.1997
mild protest. In tatters, covered with
dirt and burning with hunger, an un
cared wound oozing infections—this is
human life in its most obnoxious
form—he lakes the person to the near
est Asha Daan centre. In the home run
by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of
Charity, another dying destitute will be
cared for. till death claims his life.
Five times a week, often thrice a day,
Soni does this. In a city driven by a mil
lion motivations, compassion and com
■ SOCIAL WELFARE
mitment arc still his companions.
Why should Soni be different? Did
he have a traumatic experience when
he was young? Was he visited in his
dreams by God who decided he was
well-suited for this mission? In real life.
things are often simoler. For Soni it was
a matter of chance. When the Asha
Daan opened in Mumbai, he just hap
pened to be living nearby. When he ob
served the work of the missionaries, he
thought, “If they can do it, why can't I?"
Now, 21 years later, he is still draw
ing inspiration from Mother Teresa's
work. Fie Is the link between the desti
tutes and the missionaries and the key
figure in the day-to-day functioning of
Asha Daan at all its four centres in
;
i
.
;
I
;
|
|
;
i
i
i
Mumbai. The sisters seek his advice and
depend on his assistance —it could be a
legal matter or simply a question ofshill
ing a patient to another centre. “ IfI have
to leave the city. I have to inform the sis
ters." he says. The sisters acknowledge
his invaluable contribution. As one
says. “Sonl Is God's own man. It’s a pity
there's only one of him around."
Of course, the work Is depressing. It
used to traumatise Sonl In the early
days. Each time he helped a destitute to
Asha Daan and settled him in, meant
that it was going to be a tormenting
night for Soni. But he soldiered on. After
all. today there is no greater joy than
chatting with the same young girl he
had cradled in his arms when she was
dying outside a hospital 20 years ago.
Predictably, his work has demanded sac
rifice. For years he would use a Beet of
ambulances to assist him. but perhaps
they grew weary of his schedule, for
now, “all of them are tired of me”, he
says. So he uses his car, equipped with
water and blankets—the only conces
sion for his family, who also uses the
Omni. Is that he carries an air freshener.
Not that his family complains. His wife
takescalls on hisbehalfand son Hussain
even accompanies him to pick up thedyIng. Says the 1 3-ycar-old: "I want to be
there. Ifl can be of some help ton dying
man. It Is nice, no?" Unarguable logic.
It would be enough If it ended there.
but for Sonl playing on the side of life in
its game with death is like some karmic
commitment. At the other end of Mum
bai, bang in the centre of a huge stretch
of cultivable land in Vasai, stands the
Anand Ashram. Sixty-five young boys
discarded by society call it their home.
It is the only one they know of. Soni docs
not have much time off: yet he spends
five hours every Sunday in a rattling
suburban train Just to see them.
The boys are an assorted bunch—
some picked up from pavements by so
£ For the city’s destitutes Soni is their link with
Mother Teresa’s Asha Daan centres. For the
■
65 boys of Anand Ashram, l ie is their father.
' O
cial workers, some sent by organisa
tions outside Mumbai, some brought In
by older ashram boys. Dincsh was loi
tering on Chowpatty, Dcepak was beg
ging in suburban trains. Sanjay was
orphaned in a Punjab village whose
name he can't remember. They all live
under one roof, study dr acquire a skill,
play, fight and learn to share the small
joys and sorrows of the world. Sonl nur
tures them till they are 18 or old
enough to fend for themselves. He Is
quietly pleased that six from his earliest
batches have found employment.
Tony Paul is their surrogate parent
and Soni's half-brother. An orphan
himself, who benefited from the Mis
sionaries of Charity in his early days,
Paul is the irrepressible, though some
what naive director of Anand Ashram.
He was scrounging on the streets with
two children and three dogs when he
came across Soni six years ago. The
ashram is their dream come partly
true. Says Paul: “I salute this man. I
was a beggar when I met him and he
was the only one who trusted me and
sunk money into this."
The two fight endlessly. Paul wants
to take care of every discarded child.
Soni says their resources are not suffi
cient. The tiny building that they have
was built on benevolence, with the two
of them scrounging even boxes of tiles.
So what if 72 different boxes have
meant a rather colourful pattern in
their rooms? ButatRs600a month for
each boy. Soni has a tough time keep
ing the canteen fires burning. Yet
when Dinesh screams “Come again
soon, uncle,” as he leaves, Soni knows
his effort is not wasted.
Over the years, Soni has even
helped set up a blood bank. Every year
in /kpri I. he brings together a big group
of disabled children for a week-long
picnic on a Mumbai beach. Naturally,
all this takes precedence over his busi
ness. To the point where he has en
trusted his retail shop to his nephew
while he has moved to the godown to
make time for other work.
In a way, this self-effacing man
who dislikes public platforms and offi
cial labels, who belongs to no organi
sation but works alone, is slightly
unreal. He has found a way to make a
difference, but when you ask him he
says he is doing "precious little". And so
he remains there, by those phones.
wondering if there's enough water in
the car, knowing that the calls will
come. "When I get them, I Just forget
everything for a few hours and leave.
My staff is used to it by now, ” he smiles.
So Is his family. Compassion, after all,
knows no fixed hours.
i -I J
\. ’
CVaIQ
l| Ht- o 1 L
HeoiyC K/^kl
’ cPvxlzf
ch/M kecdJk
Cl< Id
<l
Sv^ezA kx-Yoi'A
oj^P
----S-<2-3
AoUaZA
AkJk oU<4L .
VS.
2-o -/ .
i
^w\.<2n}
PS, ?V Ca^KH~^^vvvA
.M 4 Yvvd/y\ix o i/y ■
^■k-i r\
A/ vaXaTi'U o h
^AC^LvaVU.
i n/jz-k' O
\A^-fJI
jS CACWUy/
KfijxtGL ,
£
(XXYYrnU
^tAT>OW| j
o'd/wt
(ky
~~
) T<uk ,_
p^t4'0'|vv''^ p/W)
-
p-W^€. -
^IQCkJjCk
.
Z^vvO'wkJ-^-/ £diaa/
pkv] t
fart'-
j^uzns/p
J,
g
44} oj
p->Vi
j?2^
5>|caI|
PwjiJWj?f —
.P (^YY\\jj^\/\^L^b\OY\
JkAv)
vmtsMK -
L
.
0 VX^ (Xhxkk/lA
C, |o\ Ito
SoU«Xa/
(ACQ-^jK t-i^
C$ ^Aaa3vv'^?X^ .
[ b<t^vv\0(Ai/ az^^v^A.
Factors contributing for IMR
Biological
Birth weight, age of the mother, order of birth, interval between births, multiple births,
family size, high fertility.
Economic
•
Social anu cultural
Breast feeding, religion, illiteracy, ignorance, sex of the baby, broken family, illegitimacy,
brutal habits and customs, indigenous dai, lack of trained personnel, bad environmental
sanitation.
Causes of INFANT MORTALITY.
1. Immaturity
2. Birth injury and difficult labour
3.
Congenital anomalies
4.
Haemolytic diseases of new bom
5.
Enteritis and other diarrhoeal diseases
6.
Respiratory tract injection
7.
Communicable diseases
8.
Malnutrition
9.
Accidents
10.
Adverse environmental health hazards.
Preventive measures -
Efficient MCH services
Nutrition - pre-natal
Immunization
Growth monitoring
Breast feeding
Improvement of standard of living
Health education.
RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Article 24
1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable
standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of
health. States Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right
of access to such health care services.
2. States Parties shall pursue full implementation of this right, and in particular, shall take
appropriate measures:
a)
To diminish infant and child mortality;
b)
To ensure the provision of necessary medical assistance and health care to all
children with emphasis on the development, of primary health care;
c)
To combat disease and malnutrition, including within the framework of primary
health care, through, inter alia, the application of readily available technology and
through the provision of adequate nutritious foods and clean drinking water, taking
into consideration the dangers and risks of environmental pollution;
d)
To ensure appropriate pre-natal and post-natal health care for mothers;
e)
To ensure that all segments of society, in particular parents and childreri, are
informed, have access to education and are supported in the use of basic
knowledge of child health and nutrition, the advantages of breast-feeding, hygiene
and environmental sanitation and the prevention of accidents;
f)
To develop preventive health care, guidance for parents and family planning
education and services.
n
3.
States Parties shall take all effective and appropriate measures with a view to
abolishing traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children.
4.
States Parties undertake to promote and encourage international co-operation with a
view to achieving progressively the full realization of the right recognized in the
present article. In this regard, particular account shall be taken of the needs of
developing countries.
ANTENATAL CARE
OBJECTIVES
To promote, protect and maintain the health of the mother
during pregnancy;
2. To Jetect “high risk” cases and give them special attention;
3. To foresee complications and prevent them;
4. To remove anxiety and dread associated with delivery;
5. To reduce maternal and infant mortality and morbidity;
6. To teach the mother elements of child care, nutrition, personal
hygiene and environmental sanitation;
7. To sensitise the mother to the need for family planning
including advice to cases seeking medical termination of
pregnancy; and
8. To attend to the under-fives accompanying the mother.
1.
POSTNATAL CARE
Care of the Mother
To prevent complications of the postpartal period;
To provide care for the rapid restoration of the mother to
optimum health;
3. To check adequacy of breast feeding;
4. To provide family planning services;
5. To provide basic health education to mother/family.
1.
2.
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
Some Aspects of a school health service are as follows:
1. health appraisal of school children and school personnel
2. Remedial measures and follow-up
3. Prevention of communicable diseases
4. HeUthful school environment
5. Nutritional services
6. First aid and emergency care
7. Mental health
8. Dental health
9. Eye health
IQ.Health education
11 Education of handicapped children
12.Proper maintenance and use of health records.
BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS
The behaviour problems in children may be classified as below:
Problems Antisocial in Nature : Stealing, lying, gambling, cruelty,
sexual offenses, destructiveness.
Habit disorders : Thumb sucking, nail biting, bed-wetting,
masturbation.
Personality Disorders : Jealousy, temper-tantrums, timidity,
shyness, day-dreaming, fears and anxieties, unsociability,
hysterical manifestations.
Psychosomatic Complaints : Tremors,
depression, delusion, hallucinations.
headache,
asthma,
Educational Difficulties : Backwardness in studies, school phobia,
school failures, etc.
4 U 5 J M 3 J? J Si J '! -J
o ?
i :l v
sh
'Halt! You cannot Bulldoze Our Houses!'
Understanding our
RIGHT TO ADEQUATE
ROUSING in SOUTH ASIA
THROUGH
• Our Voices and Perceptions
• Work Of Organizations In The Region
• International Legal Basis
RlwiS1 to wire US A WTW
llB
Source: "Children's declaration on Housing Rights as adopted by thechildren of Nepal and Bhutan at a Workshop in February 2002, Jhapa, Nepal
"Living in the streets, working everyday
Whatever we earn is taken away by the
police. Neither do we have a home, nor do
we have a bed.
All that we have is the earth and the
sky...”
1. We will have proper houses
with light and ventilation,
privacy and space for play.
2. We will have access to good
3. We will have nutritious food for
4. We will have good waste disposal
health care and safe drinking wate
our proper growth and develop
in our homes and in our communi
ment.
systems in our communities so our
streetswill not stink.
ties.
We must learn as much as we can about
our rights and how to secure them.
We have to be active in collecting and
sharing information on our housing
situation.
- A street child in Mumbai, India.
"We do not want an education that takes
us away from our parents and our
culture."
- Sri Lankan children who were separated from theirfamilies
in war-torn Jaffna to attend schools hi Colombo at the other
end ofthe countryfor the sake offulfilling the right to
education.
6
7. We can live, learn and play
tiesand rights as boys and girls
learning facilities near our homes.
at home
and on the
streets with
>
9.Wewi«h«eocceoO«9»«
6
"At the time of evictions, we children try
to save our things. I tried to save my
school bag. We were unable to go to
school. At least 6 to 7 days of school
were lost."
- A child evictedfrom a slum settlement in Islamabad.
Pakistan.
U.AsrefugcechlldrW^
10 Wewillbeabletopraytoour
and harmony and
homes.If unavoidable
be notified,consulted and
physically
challenged.
%
■The human rightt to Ad13. Our parents will go to
our homes
and hence
will have
more time
in which to live in peace and
and energy
for us.
Youth leadership is crucial to represent
our voicesand concerns in different plat
forms like panchayats and municipalities.
This is how we can collectivelyvoiceour
opinions.
ILWewillnotbeevictedf
resettlement.
- A girl from a squatter settlement in Nepal suffering from lack
of housing rights reacted to the Bhutan children's desire to be
repatriated in a joint workshop in Kathmandu.
We have to actively build on our capacities,
skillsandknowledge.
t
given complete
“We are refugees in our own land being
Nepalese citizens."
We should get involved in planning and
designing our homes, neighbourhoods
can enjoy basic privacy.
out being
harassed
or harmed.
"We are not happy to stay in the refugee
camps where our basic rights like our
social, economic and cultural rights as
children are not suff icient ancfwe are
very worried with our uncertain future.
We want your help."
- Bhutanese children living in refugee camps in eastern Nepal
wrote to the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing
expressing their desire to be repatriated to Bhutan and seeking
help to regain their land and housing rights.
We must organize ourselves into groups
in different ways and share our dreams,
ideas, information, suggestionsand con
cerns.
3
t
dignity.1'
Proposed by UN Special Rapporteur
on the Right to Adequate Housing,
Mr. Miloon Kothari.
fl
r
We should make sure that our voices are
heard so that our housing and other
economic, social and cultural rights are
not violated.
We must be able to talk freely to our par
ents, NGOs and other caring adults who
are working for our housing rights aboe
our hopes and concerns.
THE PERCEPTIONS OF THE CHILDREN OF THE EVICTED
SQUATTER SETTLEMENT OF GAUTAMPURI, NEW DELHI
THE INTERNATIONAL LE<5AL RESOURCES ON
CHILDREN AND HOUS1NC RiCHTS
All governments of the world, except the United States of America
I
and Somalia have ratified the CRC - Convention on the Rights of the
Child. CRC reinforces the principles for every child to survival, devel
opment and protection-providing a holistic basis for the child's right
\
to adequate housing. However, there are other very relevant human
rights instruments, legal resources and international commitments.
Some of these are:
Oiiversal Declaration on Human Rights (1948) - Article 25
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- Articles 10.1 and 11.1
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
We were dumped in Bhalaswa without any
basic services-water, sanitation or even
plot allocation or security of tenure.
- General Comments Nos. 4 and 7
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
We took loans and built basic shelters with
temporary materials. So when the wind
blows hard and it rains-we have to hold on
to our houses or else they fly away.
Discrimination Against Women (1979) - Article 14.2
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Racial Discrimination (1965) - Article 5(e)
Declaration on the Right to Development(1986) - Article 8(1)
Declaration on Social Progress and Development (1969) - Part II,
Article 10
tanbul Declaration on Human Settlements(1996) - Paragraphs
«<15
Habitat Agenda (1996)- Paragraphs 3,27,39,40,46
We did not have any schools in Bhalaswa and were not ready to give up our educa
tion. So we met different political leaders including the Chief Minister of Delhi
demanding our education rights.
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1996)
- Agenda 21
Source: •'Children and ihe Right io Adequate Housing”-A guide to International Legal Resources
by Habitat International Coalition and HAQ: Centre for Child Rights. 2002.
Message from the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate
Housing - Miloon Kothari:
Illustrations: Evicted children of Gautampuri slum. Source: Ankur, New Delhi. India
This document has been prepared by:
: <
e are faced today with a global reality where poverty and human rights violations, <
particularly of economic, social and cultural rights, are increasing. In such a context '
the clear, intuitive and persistent voices of children struggling for their rights is a reminder to
us all to spare no efforts in designing a world where children can enjoy a secure place to live,
learn and grow into healthy and happy individuals. The remarkable efforts of children in
South Asia mobilizing for their housing rights is a testimony to the relevance of their voices
and ideas. It is critically important for all to put into practice the principles and provisions of
the CRC and other international human rights instruments including policies that are in the
■best interests of the child', respect the ‘indivisibility of human rights’, ensure the utilisation
of tire ‘maximum available resources' and that, most importantly, take into account the views
ieWS
of children in all matters impacting upon their lives.
W
Habitat International Coalition
- Housing and Land Rights Network
South Asia Regional Programme Team: Shivani Bhardwaj &
Sudeshna Chatterjee in collaboration with Lalitha Iyer & Alpa Vora
C12. Nizamuddin East. New Delhi-110013 India, email: hichrc@ndf.vsnl.net .in
This publication has been supported by
Plan International (India Chapter)
C 6/6 Safdarjung Development Area New Delhi-110016 India
email: piic@plan-intemational.org
illustrations: Bindta Thapar (unless otherwise mentioned)
Design: Sudeshna Chatterjee Production: WordStnithy
Plan
Baopartofit
A. Campaigns on Housing Rights
started in different countries in
South Asia in the late 80’s.
B. As a result, organizations
working with children in
South Asia actively focused
on children’s housing rights.
C. Children demanded their right
to a secure home, food and water,
D. This work has led to the better education, health facilities,
documentation of children’s sanitation, basic civic amenities
voices and perceptions such for play and recreation.
as in the alternate India re^rt to the CRC committee in
1998. The committee made
very poignant concluding ob
servations on Children and
Housing in India and is begin
ning to focus more on these
issues for the other South
Asian countries.
F. The process of regional ex
changes amongst children from
Afferent communities and na
tions have begun in parts of
South Asia and their voices are
being reached to the relevant
authorities.
The refugee children ofBhutan,
Street children and tribal chil
dren facing displacement by
damsfrom India, squatter settle G. Children from these nations
ment children from Nepal, chil are meeting at UNGASS in New
dren ravaged by war in Sri York in May 2002 to voice their
Lanka, today, are getting to know concerns about securing Hous
about each other’s dreams of ing Rights and also share and
rights to safe and secure hous- gain from the experiences
i Chatterjee 2002
E. The Indian experience of this alternate report was shared with
children in some South Asian countries (Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bang
ladesh) at a regional workshop in Nepal.The Declaration that
emerged from this workshop is now guiding efforts on children’s
housing rights across South Asia.
J }J
1
i
The evicted children of Gautampuri compelled the government to give
them their education rights - a New Delhi success story of children’s
advocacy on their housing and related rights.
When the dwellers of the squatter set
tlement of Gautampuri in New Delhi
were evicted without any proper re
settlement offer and proper notice,
the children empowered by the field
workers of Ankur put pressure on
political leaders, got media attention
and filed a court case.
■
;
This resulted in their getting ad
mitted to schools near the reset
tlement area, getting a plot allocated for a school, upgradation of a middle
school to a high school and securing state transport.
Empowered by the experience, the children continue their struggle to gain other
aspects of their housing rights - security of tenure, potable water, affordable w-
•> t
Children who lived on railway platforms participated in planning and de
signing their own village- Karam Gaon in Faridabad, India
i
Karam Marg - the NGO responsible for the project, envisaged this village as a self-sufficient community. The children
completely generate their own income and participate in all
decision making. This complex has their residential quarters,
workshops for metal work, carpentry, pottery, paper products.
The children collaborated with architects, designers and artists
in a year long workshop to convert their perceptions of an ideal
housing and living environment into a plan for the complex.
Children’s Charter of Demands,
Mumbai, 2002.
On 23rd February 2002, YUwKr-
Children's
of Demands
Right to Housing
. Every child must have rightful access
to a house, from where she/he will not
have to fear anybody evicting her/him,
irrespective of where she/he lives streets, pavements or slums.
. Our homes should have enough space
for all the family members to sit and
sleep comfortably.
. Our homes must have provision for
toilets, water supply and a place to
cook food.
. There should be some place around our
houses where we can plant trees, go
for walks and play.
. Government should provide street
children with group homes and employ
ment and shelter for small children
that will take care of their needs.
ganized the Rang Tarang Bal
Adhikar Mela where children
drafted their charter of demands
on four main issues - Education,
Housing, Basic Services and
Child Friendly Cities.
YUVA has been involved in provid
ing direct concrete services to realize
children’s housing rights by providing
shelters for street children, experi
menting with new forms of shelter
management by street children and
running open schools for children who
live on pavements. They actively in
volve the community in this work.
They coordinated the alternate India
report-C/nW in Search of the Statela inform the Committee on the Rights
of the Child on the need to focus on
children's housing rights in India.
I iFAL
Children in Nepal are actively participating in
activities for securing their Housing Rights. On
International Children’s Day Lumanti, an NGO
working in slums, organized a cycle rally for the
children to meet with and submit a letter to the
Prime Minister demanding free primary education and right to secure housing for children.
Children became aware of the international legal
basis of their housing rights at a Kathmandu work
shop in November 2001 organized by CWIN.
They learnt from the exchange between organi
zations in India and Nepal working on children’s
housing rights.
One child leader from the cycle rally got invited by
the department of housing to present the case of
children’s housing rights. This sensitization led the
mayor to take positive steps on eviction issues.
Tlfllhildren on their own visited and shared knowledge of the right to adequate
housing with other children who are facing eviction threats. This interaction led the
community leaders to request the authorities to delay the eviction process till the
school vacations. The government responded positively and the evictions were
postponed.
A second workshop in February 2002 at Jhapa brought together children from the
streets and squatter settlements across Nepal including Bhutanese refugee chil
dren living in the UNHCR camps in Jhapa. The learnings from this were shared
with parents who negotiated with authorities and obtained rental homes while waiting
for the allocation of secure housing. This was a historic process where children
inspired NGO and government intervention in housing.
5j?l
In Sri Lanka, more than 270,000 children have been displaced
by armed conflict since the early 80’s. Zones of peace-a physica^iace that both the LTTE and the Army pledged to treat
asWarea safe for children and their communities- resulted in
the campaign for creating a war free zone. This campaign
succeeded for some time, till violence took over.
An overwhelming majority of Children want peace. There
fore zones of peace are relevant not just for Sri Lanka but
for all war torn areas where children are not only harmed but
also used for armed conflict. The main solutions identified by
the Sri Lankan Children’s Parliament are to:
Ensure access to quality education
• Provide economic relief and assistance
• Protect children from abuse and stop discrimination
• Ensure care and protection for children
Stop war and help people affected by conflict
Provide employment and vocational training opportunities.
Plan International had developed work to integrate children’s perceptions while
designing housing and habitat programs and linking them to education and health
concerns. There needs to be a much stronger recognition and representation of
children’s aspirations on rehabilitation and repatriation issues today. Clearly, chal
lenges of developing work on housing rights for Sri Lankan children are still to be
taken up by all relevant actors.The children of Sri Lanka can, once again inspire
necessary action.
Over 100,000 Bhutanese of Nepali
origin live in United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees moni
tored camps in Jhapa, Nepal and
an estimated 20,000 live elsewhere
in Nepal and India. 45% of this
population is childen.
BHUTAN
According to the results of a fact
finding mission by Habitat Inter
national Coalition to south Bhutan. northern Bhutanese are being resettled in the lands belonging to the refugees.
Both adults and children at the refugee camps want to go back to the land from
where they were evicted for regaining their housing rights and other human rights.
The children are contributing to the advocacy effort for dignified repatria
tion. They wrote to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate
Housing, the Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child
and the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights in Ggj^va
requesting them to ensure their repatriation to Bhutan and to discu"he
land and housing rights issues with the government of Bhutan which had
ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
(WHO)
They look the message to the Housing Rights Workshop at Jhapa organized by
AHURA Bhutan in February 2002. The workshop encouraged the participating
children from Nepal and Bhutan to express their views on their right to adequate
housing. Their expressions were recorded in the form of a declaration that
these children are using to struggle for regaining their housing rights.
Such declarations are now being used by children across South Asia to express
their demands for housing and land rights.
Government of Bangladesh has
several rural poverty alleviation
programmes that are desiggfc) to
lower the rate of distress imgration to cities. However formal ef
forts at linking housing rights to land
rights need to be actively en
hanced to reduce inequality of land
and property ownership. 70% of
the land in Dhaka is privately
owned. The vast population of urban poor have no proof of residence.
58,296 children were evicted in Dhaka in 2000 without any protection or resettle
ment. Children need to organize themselves to develop their housing rights.
During a survey by UBINIG, children of unskilled labourers living in Dhaka slumsJhilerpar and MCC Camp, expressed their desire for improved living condi
tions and proper education for a better future.
25 of the children in the age group of 7-12 years from these slums went to their native
villages during vacations and 9 of them did not return. They chose to remain in their
rural environment with their extended families and among abundance of fruit trees.
The children of the surveyed Dhaka slums have realized that their future
will not improve without their active participation. They have realized that
it is important to learn from the children’s advocacy work on housing and
land rights that is already taking place in other South Asian countries.
HjfF wtt U4icl
vpr innt ■orf vr
■^f^TUT UfW cF
®rssit cfe gi<i
wt 3TTW trnTO^T wr^
•
srseff ^ft 3rrarsT thtr Tsrit^
o
^TT
•
sTEEff eft 3TWFT 3Tf?JEFR VT ^-ddwl*J EFTJjT cHt ^fn^‘
M'Id'll
cFnT ^TT ^jTFT
TTTW ufc?Nl R^drl viiillH
£MftRl TTU^
<1^ ■T£cj <^
cEtallftd^
jfTKT K>1 RKT ■tl<=t>l<1 3 ( Oiy=M TFR -3d*4<1 <=t>I 3TTT oftHifeqi K>T e)IS K*T) 3*fe
Ki '3Tft4<=hKl K> ylfel K*T (Tft»3nT«Tft») *7 TTRRH I*qi KI TftoSTRoTfto TfKT
•snRi <£ ^fwr ws <? w kk, R^n’
ffe
kt
arTwirt’ kt w»r RteKT ti
K^T K KTWfWR. KK-JKT TTRIKH T^’ SfefeTK feRfefe f Rt KRKf
■^^bttkth srfsrarc tt ^sd k, rk
•
4l-1KfKM>l<Y KIT fcj^cjoiliqi IfiKKtl ( 1948) - 3TJ° 25
•
asrfy^r, ■mhiIoi'* t*k
sTfRKnrt kt sTKrnfeK ylfeimm
-
3TJ» 10.1. 11.1
•
k4’ ■*777737 3 *331 fen 331 357 ffeft 37 T4 R™' 4 R3 cfef 3775 753 <414*
375 43 ^ffefe ■gfKKTK’ 35f 51 3 *7137, 3
57?ffe7 33 33 37731 3777
Slrfefe, umfa* KK WT*f>’fif=6’ 3TRRTO KT SlferfeK VffelKK (TTTKFK
fe'-HuH -T° 4 3TTT 7)
•
®737, 3 fefel 351 331 33 *733 33 37<4ld*Td ^T7 377cft 5 <3 5*7 75’377 33 *7375 377
KI 3*713 33 41(4*141 537 K7 35f 51
HfKRTSK fe Kfrl KT KK7TT *K KKKK TTKTRT K7T3 tg feRI^H TTWH
T®37 *7537 t 351’ eft 3 35 '^’3*11
(1979) - (313° 14.2)
.
TKKK
Tffa T7KT KK7TT
RKKK KK W1 KR3
fhK RwfeK T7WH
(1965) - [37^0 5(e)]
.
14*174 Kt Sffefel K7T KTKRTKK (1986) - [37^° 5(1)]
•
•HHlf'*1* M‘lid T*K fq*Hd KK ’KTKRTKK (1996) - [KT7 8 RTT 15]
•
£
RR-TRR K77 *71-14 3713114 KT q'l3ullH3 ( 1996) - [KTI 8 3717 15]
KKtfe KRKT (1996) - [KTI 3, 27, 39, 40 RTT 15]
•
TB|<=M THS KTI 43137171 7*K' P3=hlT7 KT W77 (1996) - [T*RKT 21]
1-73737 H 37T? 7373 351’ 37 337 5*7 37*737 *751? 351 <51541 3753 31 $41(34 54 ferft
33 y,te44’4) TTfef 3?i 71333133' 71 f*73 3717 37*737 fe^n
Source: “Children and the Right to Adequate Housing"-A guide to International Legal Resources by
Habitat International Coalition and HAQ: Centre for Child Rights, 2002.
133337 - ‘lid4y(l (37Tf.3t.37t.) 37 "44®<4 K33I
31(3337 33 *77*7 3>ll
KTO - 37377, 35 feefl, 177731
35 <4<at’*h 53 77737377 KI3I 3317 fen *737
HK4d 4191 K> OIH Middle* ( 941*1 37131*7 ) l*4ejd * I did 371 57377
few^
eEten
<hi4 737 37 371*3 54 577 Ttrfe 3H 777*737 *141 33 751 5 ft? 'Iliq'l KScft 30 757 il
- 513(7'4 7*7*5 H*5 7T?57T *13441
*7ld4l(4*Kl OI4 737 37 Snfsfe. uihi(4* 7*3 411-f (1* 31f4*i<| 33 644 d'til Tt <|eni *5H
771387 Tjffen fel3?I MI4I4 fel : (1414] '417515 fe -gfen *33sff grn <4(431 37*37
3717 3Tf*n fel 1ft 453'1'1 77 7(1-12, fenfetn *J3, 3$ f3<dl-l 10013, '4173,
75T KI 177 317333 *7, =R3 *31 37*73 'irffenTl Th 3fa <7’4Mid 5 <737 37337 37731*7 5737377 <|fe
33 75 't, 577 KT77 33 K577T77 felld 5 fe 53 K777 =1-141 3313 33 =611^131 37737 Klftd, 351
t| 3K> TJlfifrl 335 3 Tlffc! K 75 773, 777® 77^, dX<?«1 75 773i 3 K3>
337 77^1 KfSTK iJstlMl
3337’ 'gm 3<|eili|
37fM4>t<i‘
t-fe7:hichrc@ndf.vsnl.net.in
7^,711^41 oqlddrM 33
377'477 - 7131 (feft STJTR sft ffe) <fe fe *737^7 f*UI-1 Tfet TlferTI
^<0l< 3357f 33 Tiofdd 5731 33371
3114171 3,1 315731 3717 133771 3fl TM^ddl 33 777®ft 51 5«(e1<l 35
TfioaTK-Tn* g 7737 f-H-did 3717 =44737371 337 5777 3733^73377'
47*<1 57 KTcH 5 f3> 5H
331’ 33 3531'
fen =5
IcTK 5733771 377 337 41341(34371’ 33 TTqFJHcll 33 '77*414 37X1 35 TjfeTKd 3^ fe 33IKI 7>
*3131 <SHci=3 7773331 33 57d4lc1 51 3777 73777317 4-=4l 37 tjfe33’3 33 Hgcq fell *fe|
'
3jch{, K3 ftl?d**I (KKIK, 7/10 TTKfira feR, 3< feefl-110016,
f-fe7ankureducalton@vsnl.net
fe* 715fe fel -
i
( feTrT WRT ),
Tfl-6/6 4*30*1-1 fenfeis 7fen,3t (feat-110016, i-fe:
piic@plan_international.org
Pion
Be a pa. 13: it.
^TOT -qfw if
ajrarok stfwiff eft wftt
(1) angiR <ft arfftgjRf tr 1980
ft; ^yich r arrferr gftf ft
gsft ftw ft ftwr ftna ftarri
(2) rt arfftgii cht Rjr iftigi ^arr fft
gf^nr iiTyiRi ft ftr ftodd gaftf eft
RTR RtTR RR 7% ft a-^l^l deed ft
arraw ft arf^ict»i<T tr arftt arm
R7T ftP^a ch<-n RR fch^il I
(3)
rert’
ft Tfrfftrr
tr,
fttgg, rht, arftr fyr^rr, trrsr
hIrrt,
WMi 44 Mi I?, ft Cl II R Hid 4ft 1 ftl <^(iq I 41 44. fd RF3JT eft] up I ftl |
( 4 ) R7 PR eblH R sf-coil gft 3uq|c] R ^Iftiqilu| RTF tfWI«iftl <*>4uI
fftRT ftft fft R=[ 1998
arraRj tr aiidd^d ftfftRT ( 3ct>Rd<*
RRR) ftt’3rR°ftt° gft aBRTT ftul<£ fttl =Rr chddl ft RRR ft
arraro gft hrr g>rftl
arafttgra f^RiTi
( 5 ) HRRT ■$’ ailillr^d -QeF
chl41»IMI A' WRT
cl chisel,
3TTRR TR RRrfk aTJWf
■^f^roT Tjfyrar^ 'ayrt,
•imci, aildchi, bu<cii<^i
Tnar aucud
mcm
Rnqi
trtfi
chicf^iicii
'aft
yiMuimd fdchdi
3TTSIR tr ara afaTrrr
if qwi) gt aliens gt arfijchifl' ir giPT jft rst t’l
(6)
rt RK eftr ^rtr ajrgrr rh
irg <imi) g; gfg
gfgprr, *ft Wrr
Ragf
, g^ gfarur TrftrgT "ff ctcrd’ git 34id 1 ■oil git R§7
g? m^iideft
c>dl 1
n g; VRTnrsff d^g , PRtT git gfwmT
eft arrfggRft rer (gft gfg eft gjRur tgasnfta ?t
t) dgw git
54"d S-dM-sl it' Rrft gin ggg r ailwcm r r^x ft aft ini Reft rr
arnpr ft’ fftgr ftt ft gR)
ftgrt fti Reftt
w graft gift tf Reft
rk
1 id raft ft' fg> aft rjrfarg rt r mii 1 g<u 1 gg tjyf arffteMi fti
(7) fta pftt Wat fti Reft r^2002 ft aRiTgf ft UNGASS ft fftftr
fTOirtt TOjmi TO
TOt ^TRI TOUT f TO WHinf felM H TO it t
mi wmnf mnl^H (UNHCR) mi tot ti otto 1,20,000 wmnf tmm
w
3TO OTtf TO TO it t l ¥TO 45% mTO
tl ^.3nt.lft. tot
^JOT t' mt
TO tt mt Rn'ld t ddldl H4I t fm
TORT ^mfttt’ mt TRTOfTOf mt OTttf
fen TO tl
TO
VTTOntf ftlfcHI H TOH md nMt mt 3TO
mTO 3FH ddd 4 3FFft ^ddl NHldl to
mfror rnrrn <=u$d t mtr it to? ^<Tsid
mi Rm
tot
m, t mro 3-udi-H to
^-srfTOTi tot mro ti
sfh
<1 ci 1 Th <1 did’} m fro nro tumit m inn mrntnr mi it t nunidd tt it t BBf
HimR ddcbl ITTOH it 3TTO to died tl •TOH TO> TO t mOT H 3TOTH TO
m 3jfnmR
to n’^mi <1^ ct tort yRi^^cb (3TOTH), n^ti m mRrmiii mt uftft tt u^iaRi nm
H^dd irR m HldH1 Rm«bI< 3ilqlH m STlfmiT Qddl t OTtt TOlt mt H'd^d'l it Hslt
3Tjim fmm t, fm t nn rnimt <jdd>
mfroft mt irJdfcMd mt t
mt nimR t
Hfn to mrmu m srfnrnrit mt n'^dd irm m dWi m mfnrnrii to to iptro mr 3nmi
Hid?) to ^J^th mt nimR tt mro ton TOdi
nrot t iim nifachi toh nrd nftftfn tot 'Srfnrniit m ’gm u^td irm mir mtntro urodn
n froTOiti to mrn imn irrnm tot fm
UNHCR ^rtt mronnf
irm irn m to srfnmTfim t to to fmm fm
to mm 2005 m wi to 2003 n ^rorfro trmi
f, fsnra fe wl’ 3ft
^fi4s6h w<
crt
141^
W’H. H ‘I<141
<MHQ1l^l
3jh ^ra <ril*iT ft 33ft arrfti ft^n
=h<A 3ft
^fft 3,
k
3^ straw
stfiraw 3ft
stf^ratR 3i 'Hi’4 ml si rara air*
‘‘frarfftw ft’ swHuai 3ft wnra fftwr rarai
<51311 ft 70 3ft<l<i ’jfft fftsft TWjfft ft I 3I6<1
3 75ft Mid 3ST 3T3T3
‘iftal 31 3TO <63
3? 3itf <l^a 3ftt ftl
2002 ft 58,296 3^31 33 3T331 3T3K ft f3H1 fcftt
3ft 'J33fe ft' 3«sW fft3I,
35I TR 3331 3ft 3793 Straw ft 3ftft3ttft’ ft ftft ftiftdd fttft ftl wra tl UBINIG ?W
X3t Ttft ft W33ft ft 3331 ft ftt 3t37I ft ftlcrldiMId 9ft MCC ftw ft 753 f, 3TO3T
3ft 7333 33ft
3t?T fft ft <3W 3T3?ft TWltf W T53T 3n?ft f 3«IT 313ft wfftw ft
fftft ran fft^tr 9t3T raraft fi
WTWftft ft ft 25 333 (7- 12 33 ft 313) Stqft 'JWft 3131 ft tffedft' ft ftu3 33
[ft-MH ft 9 333 351’ 37 75 3ft, 3tPw 351 3ttftI 53 33ft’ ft 3T3 ft 316137“I 33 75ft ft fftft
^31, 351 sa* as Milan. 5 331 37 737 *<nl 3> 35 51
3133 ftl ^jftl ft 53 333t ft 35 55753 fftw fft 3333 nfftra 33ft ftofeB fttft ft 337
35I ^37 7T3tHTI 33ft 37^737 ftftrrf 71(^131 ft ftftl' ft 3xftf ft »ffft trft 333W
37ftt*Hl" ft 3T 31W ftl <51 ft san s-^ ftloai ratfftftl
•THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA*
The State shall, in paricular, direct its policy towards securing:
(.) that the health and strength of workers, men and women, and the tender age
of children are not abused and the citizens are not forced by economic necessity
to enter avocations unsuited to their age or strength;
(..) that children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy
manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and childhood and youth are
protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment.
- Excerpt from Article 39,
Directive Prinicples of State Policy
The Government of
India acceded to
this convention on
11 December, 1992
CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Adopted by the General Assembly of the
United Nations on 20 November 1989
PREAMBLE
The States Parties to the present Convention,
Considering that, in accordance with the principles proclaimed in the Charter of
the United Nations, recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable
rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and
peace in the world,
Bearing in mind that the peoples of the United Nations have, in the Charter, reaffirmed
their faith in fundamental human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human
person, and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of
life in larger freedom,
Recognising that the United Nations has, in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and in the International Covenants on Human Rights, proclaimed and agreed
that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without
distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or
other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status,
Recalling that, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations has
proclaimed that childhood is entitled to special care and assistance,
Convinced that the family, as the fundamental group of society and the natural
environment for the growth and well-being of all its members and particularly
children, should be afforded the necessary protection and assistance so that it
can fully assume its responsibilities within the community,
Recognising that the child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her
personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness,
love and understanding,
Considering that the child should be fully prepared to live an individual life in
society, and brought up in the spirit of the ideals proclaimed in the Charter of the
United Nations, and in particular in the spirit of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom,
equality and solidarity,
Bearing in mind that the need to extend particular care to the child has been stated
in the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1924 and in the Declaration
of the Rights of the Child adopted by the General Assembly on 20 November 1959
and recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (in particular in articles 23 and 24), in the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights (in particular in
article 10) and in the statutes and relevant instruments of specialized agencies
and international organizations concerned with welfare of children,
Bearing in mind that, as indicated in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, "the
child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards
and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth",
Recalling the provisions of the Declaration on Social and Legal Principles relating
to the Protection and Welfare of Children, with Special Reference to Foster
Placement and Adoption Nationally and Internationally; the United Nations Standard
Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (The Beijing Rules); and
the Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed
Conflict,
Recognising that, in all countries in the world, there are children living in exceptionally
difficult conditions, and that such children need special consideration, Taking due
account of the importance of the traditions and cultural values of each people for
the protection and harmonious development of the child.
Recognising the importance of international co-operation for improving the living
conditions of children in every country, in particular in the developing countries,
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1
For the purposes of the present Convention, a child means every human being
below the age of 18 years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is
attained earlier.
Article 2
1.
States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the present
Convention to each child within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any
kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her parent's or legal guardian's race
colour, sex, language, religion political or other opinion, national, ethnic or
social origin, property, disability, birth or other status.
2.
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child is
protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the
status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child's parents, legal
guardians, or family members.
Article 3
1.
In all action concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private
social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative
bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.
2.
States Parties undertake to ensure the child such protection and care as is
necessary for his or her well-being, taking into account the rights and duties
of his or her parents, legal guardians, or other individuals legally responsible
for him or her, and to this end, shall take all appropriate legislative and
administrative measures.
3.
States Parties shall ensure that the institutions, services and facilities
responsible for the care or protection of children shall conform with the
standards established by competent authorities, particularly in the areas of
safety, health, in the number and suitability of their staff as well as competent
supervision.
Article 4
States Parties shall undertake all appropriate legislative, administrative, and other
measures for the implementation of the rights recognised in the present Convention.
With regard to economic, social and cultural rights, States Parties shall undertake
such measures to the maximum extent of the their available resources and, where
needed, within the framework of international co-operation.
Article 5
States Parties shall respect the responsibilities, rights and duties of parents or, where
applicable, the members of the extended family or community as provided for by local
custom, legal guardians or other persons legally responsible for the child, to provide, in
a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child, appropriate direction and
guidance in the exercise by the child of the rights recognised in the present Convention.
Article 6
1.
2.
States parties recognise that every child has the inherent right to life.
States Parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and
development of the child.
Article 7
1.
The child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from
birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and, as far as possible, the right to
know and be cared for by his or her parents.
2.
States Parties shall ensure the implementation of these rights in accordance with their
national law and their obligations under the relevant international instruments in this field,
in particular where the child would otherwise be stateless.
Article 8
1.
States Parties undertake to respect the right of the child to preserve his or her identity,
including nationality, name and family relations as recognised by law without unlawful
interference.
2.
Where a child is illegally deprived of some or all of the elements of his identity, States
Parties shall provide appropriate assistance and protection, with a view to speedily re
establishing his or her identity.
Article 9
1. States Parties shall ensure that a child shall not be separated fro his or her parents
against their will, except when competent authorities subject to judicial review determine,
in accordance with applicable law and procedures, that such separation is necessary
for the best interests of the child. Such determination may be necessary in a particular
case such as one involving abuse or neglect of the child by the parents, or one where the
parents are living separately and a decision must be made as to the child's place of
residence.
2. In any proceedings pursuant to paragraph 1 of the present article, all interested parties
shall be given an opportunity to participate in the proceedings and make their views
known.
3.
States Parties shall respect the right of the child who is separated from one or
both parents to maintain personal relations and direct contact with both parents
on a regular basis except if it is contrary to the child's best interests.
4.
Where such separation results from any action initiated by a State Party, such
as the detention, imprisonment, exile, deportation or death (including death
arising from any cause while the person is in the custody of the State) of one
or both parents or of the child, that State Party shall, upon request, provide the
parents, the child or, if appropriate, another member of the family with the
essential information concerning the whereabouts of the absent member(s)
of the family unless the provision of the information would be detrimental to the
well-being of the child. States Parties shall further ensure that the submission
of such a request shall of itself entail no adverse consequences for the
person(s) concerned.
Article 10
1.
In accordance with the obligation of States Parties under article 9, paragraph 1,
applications by a child or his or her parents to enter or leave a State Party
for the purpose of family re-unification shall be dealt with by States Parties in
a positive, humane and expeditious manner. States Parties shall further ensure
that the submission of such a request shall entail no adverse consequences
for the applicants and for the members of their family.
2.
A child whose parents reside in different States shall have the right to maintain
on a reqular basis, save in exceptional circumsances, personal relations and
direct contacts with both parents. Towards that end and in accordance with
the obligation of States Parties under article 9, paragraph 1, States Parties
shall respect the right of the child and his or her parents to leave any country,
including their own, and to enter their own country. The right to leave any
country shall be subject only to such restrictions as are prescribed by law
and which are necessary to protect the national security, public order (ordre
public), public health or morals or the rights and freedoms of others and are
consistent with the other rights recognised in the present Convention.
Article 11
1. States Parties shall take measures to combat the illicit transfer and non-return
of children abroad.
2. To this end, States Parties shall promote the conlusion of bilateral or multilateral
agreements or accession to existing agreements.
Article 12
1.
States Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her
own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the
child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the
age and maturity of the child.
2.
For this purpose, the child shall in particular be provided the opportunity to be heard
in any judicial and administrative proceedings affecting the child, either directly, or
through a representative or an appropriate body, in a manner consistent with the
procedural rules of national law.
Article 13
1. The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include
freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless
of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form or art. or through any other
media of the child's choice.
2. The exercise of this right may be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only
be such as are provided by law and are necessary:
(a)
(b)
For respect of the rights or reputations of others; or
For the protection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of
public health or morals.
Article 14
1. States Parties shall respect the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience
and religion.
2. States Parties shall respect the rights and duties of the parents and, when applicable,
legal guardians, to provide direction to the child in the exercise of his or her right in
a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child.
3.
Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations
as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health
or morals, or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.
Article 15
1. States Parties recognise the rights of the child to freedom of association and to
freedoms of peaceful assembly.
2. No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of these rights other than those
imposed in conformity with the law and which are necessary in a democratic
society in the interests of national security or public safety, public order (ordre
public), the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and
freedoms of others.
Article 16
1.
No child shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her
privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor, to unlawful attacks on his or her
honour and reputation.
The child has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or
attacks.
2.
Article 17
States Parties recognise the important function performed by the mass media and shall
ensure that the child has access to information and material from a diversity of national
and international sources, especially those aimed at the promotion of his or her social,
spiritual and moral well-being and physical and mental health. To this end States
Parties shall;
(a)
Encourage the mass media to disseminate information and material of social and
cultural benefit to the child and in accordance with the spirit of article 29;
(b)
Encourage international co-operation in the production, exchange and dissemination
of such information and material from a diversity of cultural, national and international
sources;
(c)
(d)
Encourage the production and dissemination of children’s books;
Encourage the mass media to have particular regard to the linguistic needs of the
child who belongs to a minority group or who is indigenous;
Encourage
(e)
the development of appropriate guidelines for the protection of the
child from information and material injurious to his or her well-being, bearing in mind
the provisions of articles 13 and 18.
Article 18
1. States Parties shall use their best efforts to ensure recognition of the principle that
both parents have common responsibilities for the upbringing and development of
the child. Parents or, as the case may be, legal guardians, have the primary
responsibility for the upbringing and development of the child. The best interests
of the child will be their basic concern.
2. For the purpose of guaranteeing and promoting the rights set forth in the present
Convention, States Parties shall render appropriate assistance to parents and legal
guardians in the performance of their child-rearing responsibilities and shall ensure
the development of institutions, facilities and services for the care of children.
3.
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that children of working
parents have the right to benefit from child-care services and facilities for which
they are eligible.
Article 19
1.
States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and
educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental
violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation
including sexual abuse, while in the care of parents(s), legal guardian(s) or any
other person who has the care of the child.
2.
Such protective measures should, as appropriate, include effective procedures
for the establishment of social programmes to provide necessary support for
the child and for those who have the care of the child, as well as for other
forms of prevention and for identification, reporting, referral, investigation,
treatment, and follow-up of instances of child maltreatment described
heretofore, and, as appropriate, for judicial involvement.
Article 20
1. A child temporarily or permanently deprived of his or her family environment.
or in whose own best interests cannot be allowed to remain in that environment,
shall be entitled to special protection and assistance provided by the State.
2. States Parties shall in accordance with their national laws ensure alternative
care for such a child.
3.
Such care could include, inter alia, foster placement, Kafala of Islamic Law,
adoption or if necessary, placement in suitable institutions for the care of
children. When considering solutions, due regard shall be paid to the desirability
of continuity in a child's upbringing and to the child’s ethnic, religious, cultural
and linguistic background.
Article 21
States Parties which recognise and/or permit the system of adoption shall ensure
that the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration and they
shall:
(a)
Ensure that the adoption of a child is authorized only by competent authorities
who determine, in accordance with applicable law and procedures and on the
basis of all pertinent and reliable information, that the adoption is permissible in
view of the child’s status concerning parents, relatives and legal guardians
and that, if required, the persons concerned had given their informed consent
to the adoption on the basis of such counselling as may be necessary;
(b)
Recognise that inter-country adoption may be considered as an alternative
means of child’s care, if the child cannot be placed in a foster or an adoptive
family or cannot in any suitable manner be cared for in the child’s country of
origin;
(c)
Ensure that the child concerned by inter-country adoption enjoys safeguards
and standards equivalent to those existing in the case of national adoption;
(d)
Take all appropriate measures to ensure that, in inter-country adoption, the
placement does not result in improper financial gain for those involved in it;
(e)
Promote, where appropriate, the objectives of the present article by concluding
bilateral or multilateral arrangements or agreements, and endeavour, within
this framework, to ensure that the placement of the child in another country is
carried out by competent authorities or organs.
Article 22
1. States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure that a child who is
seeking refugee status or who is considered a refugee in accordance with
applicable international or domestic law and procedures shall, whether
unaccompanied or accompanied by his or her parents or by any other person,
receive appropriate protection and humanitarian assistance in the enjoyment
of applicable rights set forth in the present Convention and in other international
human rights or humanitarian instruments to which the said States are Parties.
2. For this purpose. States Parties shall provide, as they consider appropriate
co-operation in any efforts by the United Nations and other competent inter
governmental organizations or non-governmental organizations co-operating
with the United Nations to protect and assist such a child and to trace the
parents or other members of the family of any refugee child in order to obtain
information necessary for reunification with his or her family. In cases where
no parents or other members of the family can be found, the child shall be
accorded the same protection as any other child permanently or temporarily
deprived of his or her family environment for any reason, as set forth in the
present Convention.
Article 23
1. States Parties recognise that a mentally or physically disabled child should
enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions which ensure dignity, promote selfreliance and facilitate the child’s active participation in the community.
2. States Parties recognise the right of the disabled child to special care and
shall encourage and ensure the extension, subject to available resources, to
the eligible child and those responsible for his or her care, of assistance for
which application is made and which is appropriate to the child's condition and
to the circumstances of the parents or others caring for the child.
3.
Recognising the special needs of a disabled child, assistance extended in
accordance with paragraph 2 of the present article shall be provided free of
charge, wherever possible, taking into account the financial resources of the
parents or others caring for the child, and shall be designed to ensure that the
disabled child has effective access to and receives education, training, health
care services, rehabilitation services, preparation for employment and
recreation opportunities in a manner conducive to the child's achieving the
fullest possible social integration and individual development, including his or
her cultural and spiritual development.
4.
States Parties shall promote, in the spirit of international co-operation, the
exchange of appropriate information in the field of preventive health care and
of medical, psychological and functional treatment of disabled children, including
dissemination of and access to information concerning methods of rehabilitation,
education and vocational services, with the aim of enabling States Parties to
improve their capabilities and skills and to widen their experience in these
areas. In this regard, particular account shall be taken of the needs of developing
countries.
Article 24
1. States Parties recognise the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest
attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and
rehabilitation of health. States Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is
deprived of his or her right of access to such health care services.
2. States Parties shall pursue full implementation of this right and, in particular, shall
take appropriate measures:
(a)
To diminish infant and child mortality;
To
(b)
ensure the provision of necessary medical assistance and health care to
all children with emphasis on the development of primary health care;
(c)
To combat disease and malnutrition, including within the framework of primary
health care, through, inter alia, the application of readily available technology
and through the provision of adequate nutritious foods and clean drinking
water, taking into consideration the dangers and risks of environmental
pollution;
(d)
To ensure appropriate pre-natal and post-natal health care for mothers;
To
(e)
ensure that all segments of society, in particular parents and children, are
informed, have access to education and are supported in the use of basic
knowledge of child health and nutrition, the advantages of breast-feeding,
hygiene and environmental sanitation and the prevention of accidents;
(f)
To develop preventive health care, guidance for parents and family planning
education and services.
3.
States Parties shall take all effective and appropriate measures with a view to
abolishing traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children.
4.
States Parties undertake to promote and encourage international co-operation
with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of the right recognised
in the present article. In this regard, particular account shall be taken of the
needs of developing countries.
Article 25
States Parties recognise the right of a child who has been placed by the competent
authorities for the purposes of care, protection or treatment of his or her physical or
mental health, to a periodic review of the treatment provided to the child and all other
circumstances relevant to his or her placement.
Article 26
States Parties shall recognise for every child the right to benefit from social
security, including social insurance, and shall take the necessary measures to
achieve the full realization of this right in accordance with their national law.
The benefits should, where appropriate, be granted, taking into account the
2.
resources and the circumstances of the child and persons having responsibility
for the maintenance of the child, as well as any other consideration relevant
to an application tor benefits made by or on behalf of the child.
Article 27
1. States Parties recognise the right of every child to a standard of living adequate
for the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development.
2. The parents(s) or others responsible for the child have the primary responsibility
to secure, within their abilities and financial capacities, the conditions of living
necessary for the child's development.
3.
States Parties, in accordance with national conditions and within their means,
shall take appropriate measures to assist parents and others responsible for
the child to implement this right and shall in case of need provide material
assistance and support programmes, particularly with regard to nutrition,
clothing and housing.
4.
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to secure the recovery of
maintenance for the child from the parents or other persons having financial
responsibility for the child, both within the State Party and from abroad. In
particular, where the person having financial responsibility for the child lives in
a State different from that of the child, States Parties shall promote the accession
to international agreements or the conclusion of such agreements, as well as
the making of other appropriate arrangements.
Article 28
1.
States Parties recognise the right of the child to education, and with a view to
achieving this right progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity, they
shall, in particular:
(a)
Make primary education compulsory and available free to all;
(b)
Encourage the development of different forms of secondary education,
including general and vocational education, make them available and
accessible to every child, and take appropriate measures such as the
introduction of free education and offering financial assistance in case of
need;
(c)
Make higher education accessible to all on the basis of capacity by every
appropriate means;
(d)
Make education and vocational information and guidance available and
accessible to all children;
Take
(e)
measures to encourage regular attendance at schools and the
reduction of drop-out rates.
2.
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that school
discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child's human dignity
and in conformity with the present Convention.
3.
States Parties shall promote and encourage international co-operation in
matters relating to education, in particular with a view to contributing to the
elimination of ignorance and illiteracy throughout the world and facilitating
access to scientific and technical knowledge and modern teaching methods.
In this regard, particular account shall be taken of the needs of developing
countries.
Article 29
1. States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to:
(a)
The development of the child's personality, talents and mental and physical
abilities to their fullest potential;
The
(b)
development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms,
and for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations;
(c)
The development of respect for the child’s parents, his or her own cultural
identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in
which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate,
and for civilizations different from his or her own;
The
(d)
preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the
spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship
among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of
indigenous origin;
(e)
The development of respect for the natural environment.
2. No part of the present article or article 28 shall be construed so as to interfere
with the liberty of individuals and bodies to establish and direct educational
institutions, subject always to the observance of the principles set forth in
paragraph 1 of the present article and to the requirements that the education
given in such institutions shall conform to such minimum standards as may be
laid down by the State.
Article 30
In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities or persons of
indigenous origin exist, a child belonging to such a minority or who is indigenous
shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of his or her group,
to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practice his or her own religion, or
to use his or her own language.
Article 31
1.
States Parties recognise the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play
and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate
freely in cultural life and the arts.
2.
States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully
in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and
equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity.
Article 32
1. States Parties recognise the right of the child to be protected from economic
exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to
interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical,
mental, spiritual, moral or social development.
2. States Parties shall take legislative, administrative, social and educational measures
to ensure the implementation of the present article. To this end, and having regard
to the relevant provisions of other international instruments, States Parties shall in
particular:
(a)
Provide for a minimum age or minimum ages for admissions to employment;
(b)
Provide for appropriate regulation of the hours and conditions of employment;
(c)
Provide for appropriate penalties or other sanctions to ensure the effective
enforcement of the present article.
Article 33
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures including legislative, administrative,
social and educational measures to protect children from the illicit use of narcotic
drugs and psychotropic substances as defined in the relevant international treaties
and to prevent the use of children in the illicit production and trafficking of such
substances.
Article 34
States Parties undertake to protect the child from all forms of sexual exploitation and
sexual abuse. For these purposes, States Parties shall in particular take all appropriate
national, bilateral and multilateral measures to prevent:
(a)
The inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any unlawful sexual
activity;
(b)
The exploitative use of children in prostitution or other unlawful sexual
practices;
(c)
The exploitative use of children in pornographic performances and materials.
Article 35
States Parties shall take all appropriate national, bilateral and multilateral measures
to prevent the abduction of, the sale of or traffic in children for any purpose or in
any form.
Article 36
States Parties shall protect the child against all other forms of exploitation prejudicial
to any aspects of the child’s welfare.
Article 37
States Parties shall ensure that:
(a) No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment. Neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment
without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by
persons below 18 years of age;
(b) No child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily. The
arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the law
and shall be used only as measure of last resort and for the shortest
appropriate period of time;
(c)
Every child deprived of liberty shall be treated with humanity and respect for
the inherent dignity of the human person, and in a manner which takes into
account the needs of persons of his or her age. In particular, every child
deprived of liberty shall be separated from adults unless it is considered in the
child's best interest not to do so and shall have the right to maintain contact
with his or her family through correspondence and visits, save in exceptional
circumstances;
(d)
Every child deprived of his or her liberty shall have the right to prompt access
to legal and other appropriate assistance, as well as the right to challenge the
legality of the deprivation of his or her liberty before a court or other competent,
independent and impartial authority, and to a prompt decision on any such
action.
Article 38
1.
States Parties undertake to respect and to ensure respect for rules of
international humanitarian law applicable to them in armed conflicts which are
relevant to the child.
2.
States Parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure that persons who
have not attained the age of 15 years do not take a direct part in hostilities.
3.
States Parties shall refrain from recruiting any person who has not attained the
age of 15 years into their armed forces. In recruiting among those persons
who have attained the age of 15 years but who have not attained the age of 18
years, States Parties shall endeavour to give priority to those who are oldest.
4.
In accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law to
protect the civilian population in armed conflicts, States Parties shall take all
feasible measures to ensure protection and care of children who are affected
by an armed conflict.
Article 39
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to promote physical and
psychological recovery and social re-integration of a child victim of: any from of
neglect, exploitation, or abuse; torture or any other form of cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment; or armed conflicts. Such recovery and re
integration shall take place in an environment which fosters the health, self-respect
and dignity of the child.
Article 40
1. States Parties recognise the right of every child alleged as, accused of, or
recognised as having infringed the penal law to be treated in a manner consistent
with the promotion of the child's sense of dignity and worth, which reinforces
the child's respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of others
and which takes into account the child’s age and desirability of promoting the
child's re-integration and the child’s assuming a constructive role in society.
2. To this end, and having regard to the relevant provisions of international
instruments, States Parties shall, in particular, ensure that:
(a)
No child shall be alleged as, be accused of, or recognised as having
infringed the penal law by reason of acts or omissions that were not
prohibited by national or international law at the time they were committed;
(b)
Every child alleged as or accused of having infringed the penal law has at
least the following guarantees:
(I)
To be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law;
(ii)
To be informed promptly and directly of the charges against him or her,
and if appropriate through his or her parents or legal guardian, and to
have legal or other appropriate assistance in the preparation and
presentation of his or her defence;
(iii)
To have the matter determined without delay by a competent
independent and impartial authority or judicial body in a fair hearing
according to law, in the presence of legal or other appropriate assistance
and, unless it is considered not to be in the best interest of the child, in
particular, taking into account his or her age or situation, his or her
parents or legal guardians;
3.
(iv)
Not to be compelled to give testimony or to confess guilt; to examine or
have examined adverse witnesses and to obtain the participation and
examination of witnesses on his or her behalf under conditions of
equality;
(v)
If considered to have infringed the penal law, to have this decision
and any measures imposed in consequence thereof reviewed by a
higher competent, independent and impartial authority or judicial body
according to law;
(vi)
To have the free assistance of an interpreter if the child cannot
understand or speak the language used;
To
(vii)
have his or her privacy fully respected at all stages of the
proceedings.
States Parties shall seek to promote the establishment of laws, procedures,
authorities and institutions specifically applicable to children alleged as, accused
of. or recognised as having infringed the penal law, and in particular:
(a) The establishment of a minimum age below which children shall be presumed
not to have the capacity to infringe the penal law;
(b) Whenever appropriate and desirable, measures for dealing with such
children without resorting to judicial proceedings, providing that human
rights and legal safeguards are fully respected.
4.
A variety of dispositions, such as care, guidance and supervision orders;
counselling; probation; foster care; education and vocational training
programmes and other alternatives to institutional care shall be available to
ensure that children are dealt with in a manner appropriate to their well-being
and proportionate both to their circumstances and the offence.
Article 41
Nothing in the present Convention shall affect any provisions which are more
conducive to the realization of the rights of the child and which may be contained
in:
(a) The law of a State Party; or
(b) International law in force for that State.
Part II
Article 42
States Parties undertake to make the principles and provisions of the Convention
widely known, by appropriate and active means, to adults and children alike.
Article 43
For the purpose of examining the progress made, by States Parties in achieving
I.
the realization of the obligations undertaken in the present Convention, there
shall be established a Committee on the Rights of the Child, which shall carry
out the functions hereinafter provided.
The Committee shall consist of 10 experts of high moral standing and recognised
2.
competence in the field covered by this Convention. The members of the
Committee shall be elected by States Parties from among their nationals and
shall serve in their personal capacity, consideration being given to equitable
geographical distribution, as well as to the principal legal systems.
3.
The members of the Committee shall be elected by secret ballot from a list of
persons nominated by States Parties. Each State Party may nominate one
person from among its own nationals.
4.
The initial election to the Committee shall be held no later than six months after
the date of the entry into force of the present Convention and thereafter every
second year. At least four months before the date of each election, the
Secretary-General of the United Nations shall address a letter to States Parties
inviting them to submit their nominations within two months. The SecretaryGeneral shall subsequently prepare a list In alphabetical order of all person
thus nominated, indicating States Parties which have nominated them, and
shall submit it to the States Parties to the present Convention.
5.
The elections shall be held at meetings of States Parties convened by the
Secretary-General at United Nations Headquarters. At those meetings, for
which two-thirds of States Parties shall constitute a quorum, the persons
elected to the committee shall be those who obtain the largest number of
votes and an absolute majority of the votes of the representatives of States
Parties present and voting.
6.
The members of the Committee shall be elected for a term of four years. They
shall be eligible for re-election if renominated. The term of five of the members
elected at the first election shall expire at the end of two years; immediately
after the first election, the names of these five members shall be chosen by lot
by the Chairman of the meeting.
7.
If a member of the Committee dies or resigns or declares that for any other
cause he or she can no longer perform the duties of the Committee, the State
Party which nominated the member shall appoint another expert from among
its nationals to serve for the remainder of the term, subject to the approval of
the Committee.
8.
The Committee shall establish its own rules of procedure.
9.
The Committee shall elect its officers for a period of two years.
1O.The meetings of the Committee shall normally be held at the United Nations
Headquarters or at any other convenient place as determined by the Committee.
The Committee shall normally meet annually. The duration of the meetings of
the Committee shall be determined, and reviewed, if necessary, by a meeting
of the States Parties to the present Convention, subject to the approval of the
General Assembly.
11.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall provide the necessary
staff and facilities for the effective performance of the functions of the Committee
under the present Convention.
12.
With the approval of the General Assembly, the members of the Committee
established under the present Convention shall receive emoluments from the
United Nations resources on such terms and conditions as the Assembly may
decide.
Article 44
1.
States Parties undertake to submit to the committee, through the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations, reports on the measures they have adopted
which give effect to the rights recognised herein and on the progress made
on the enjoyment of those rights:
(a) Within two years of the entry into force of the convention for the State
Party Concerned;
(b) Thereafter every five years
2.
Reports made under the present article shall indicate factors and difficulties.
if any, affecting the degree of fulfillment of the obligations under the present
Convention, Reports shall also contain sufficient information to provide the
Committee with a comprehensive understanding of the implementation of the
Convention in the country concerned.
3.
A State Party which has submitted a comprehensive initial report to the
Committee need not, in its subsequent reports submitted in accordance with
paragraph 1 (b) of the present article, repeat basic information previously
provided.
4.
The Committee may request from State Parties further information relevant to
the implementation of the Convention.
5.
The Committee shall submit to the General Assembly, through the Economic
and Social Council, every two years, reports on its activities.
6.
States Parties shall make their reports widely available to the public in their
own countries.
Article 45
In order to foster the effective implementation of the Convention and to encourage
international co-operation in the field covered by the Convention:
(a) The specialized agencies, United Nations Children’s Fund and other United
Nations organs shall be entitled to be represented at the consideration of the
implementation of such provisions of the present Convention as fall within the
scope of their mandate. The Committee may invite the specialized agencies,
United Nations Children's Fund and other competent bodies as it may consider
appropriate to provide expert advice on the implementation of the Convention
in areas falling within the scope of their respective mandates. The Committee
may invite the specialized agencies, United Nations Children’s Fund and other
United Nations organs to submit reports on the implementation of the Convention
in areas falling within the scope of their activities;
(b)The Committee shall transmit, as it may consider appropriate, to the specialized
agencies, the United Nations Children’s Fund and other competent bodies, any
reports from States Parties that contain a request, or indicate a need, for
technical advice or assistance, along with the Committee's observations and
suggestions, if any, on these requests or indications;
The
(c)
Committee may recommend to the General Assembly to request the
Secretary-General to undertake on its behalf studies on specific issues relating
to the rights of the child;
(d)
The Committee may make suggestions and general recommendations based
on information received pursuant to articles 44 and 45 of the present
Convention. Such suggestions and general recommendations shall be
transmitted to any State Party concerned and reported to the General Assembly,
together with comments, if any, from States Parties.
Part III
Article 46
The present Convention shall be open for signature by all States.
Article 47
The present Convention is subject to ratification. Instruments of ratification shall
be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Article 48
The present Convention shall remain open for accession by any State. The
instruments of accession shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the
United Nations.
Article 49
1. The present Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the
date of deposit with the Secretary-General of the United Nations of the twentieth
instrument of ratification or accession.
2. For each State ratifying or acceding to the Convention after the deposit of the
twentieth instrument of ratification or accession, the Convention shall enter
into force on the thirtieth day after the deposit by such State of its instrument
of ratification or accession.
Article 50
I.Any State Party may propose an amendment and file it with the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations. The Secretary-General shall thereupon
communicate the proposed amendment to States Parties, with a request that
they indicate whether they favour a conference of States Parties for the
purpose of considering and voting upon the proposals. In the event that,
within four months from the date of such communication, at least one-third of
the States Parties favour such a conference, the Secretary-General shall
convene the conference under the auspices of the United Nations. Any
amendment adopted by a majority of States Parties present and voting at the
conference shall be submitted to the General Assembly for approval.
2. An amendment adopted in accordance with paragraph 1 of the present article
shall enter into force when it has been approved by the General Assembly of
the United Nations and accepted by a two-thirds majority of States Parties.
3.
When an amendment enters into force, it shall be binding on those States
Parties which have accepted it, other States Parties still being bound by the
provisions of the present Convention and any earlier amendments which they
have accepted.
Article 51
1. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall receive and circulate to all
States the text of reservations made by States at the time of ratification or
accession.
2. A reservation incompatible with the object and purpose of the present
Convention shall not be permitted.
3.
Reservations may be withdrawn at any time by notification to that effect
addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall then
inform all States. Such notification shall take effect on the date on which it is
received by the Secretary-General.
Article 52
A State Party may denounce the present Convention by written notification to the
Secretary-General of the United Nations. Denunciation becomes effective one
year after the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary-General.
Article 53
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is designated as the depository of
the present Convention.
Article 54
The original of the present Convention, of which the Arabic, Chinese, English,
French, Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic shall be deposited with
the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
In witness thereof the undersigned plenipotentiaries, being duly authorized thereto
by their respective Governments, have signed the present Convention.
- Media
SDA_RF_CH_8_SUDHA.pdf
Position: 371 (14 views)