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CH- ■& J

UPBEAT

An Angel of
the Streets
SliabbirSoni 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 KOPl’IKAR

OMEONE IS DYING ON THE
pavement. Make your choice.
Either stop your car, pick him
up
—even
though
he'sand
covered
with
festering
sores
sup­
purating wounds—put 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. fora 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 ("I do my
nfl/nflz”)but religion, he says, has noth­
ing to do with his concern. It's just that
while other men believe they arc com­
passionate. Soni actually is. II is that
simple He has helped set up a blood
bank: he lakes 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 ♦ |IXY 21. 1997

mild protest. In tatters, covered with
dirt and burning with hunger, an uncarcd wound oozing infections—this is
human life in its most obnoxious
form—he lakes the person to the near­
est Asha Haan centre. In the home run
by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of
Charily, another dying destitute will be
cared for. till death claims his life.
Five limes a week, often thrice a day,
Soni does this. In a city driven by a mil­
lion motivations, compassion and com ■
FAUZAN HUSAIN

□ 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
drcams by God who decided he was
well-suited for this mission? In real life,
things are often simpler. 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, "Iftheycandoit, why can't I?”
Now. 21 years later, he is still draw­
ing inspiration from Mother Teresa's
work. He 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

Mumbai. The sisters seek his advice and
depend on his assistance —it could be a
legal matterorsimply a question ofshifting a patient to another centre. "If I have
to leave the city. I have to inform the sis­
ters." he says. The sisters acknowledge
his invaluable contribution. As one
says. "Soni Is Hod's own man. It's a pity
there's only one of him around.”
Of course, the work Is depressing. It
used to traumatise Son! in the curly
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 hasdemanded sac­
rifice. For years he would use a fleet 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
takes calls on his behalf and son Hussain
even accompanies him to pick up the dy­
ing. Says the 1 3-ycnr-old: "I want to be
there. If I cun be of some help Io a dying
man. It Is nice, no?" Unarguable logic.
It would be enough if it ended there.
but for Soul 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 does
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, he is their father.

' ©

cial workers, some sent by organisa­
tions outside Mumbai, some brought In
by older ashram boys. Dinesh 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, si tidy or acquire a skill,
play, fight and learn to share the small
joys and sorrows of I he world. Soni nur­
tures them till they arc 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? But at Rs 600 a 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 April. 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.
■
JULY 21. 1997 ♦ INDIA TODAY

85

CVW V

A;"u

'
i
i
.
;

y LNKATESH. (12 years) ofGudlbanda
</ village in Anekal taluk. Bangalore
V district, was bonded at the age of five
years to a rich, land-owning (Gowda) family in
Somalapura village against a loan of Rs. 7.(K)<1
taken for performing his sister's marriage. His
lather. Venkatappa w ould also help him with
the work w hen the workload was heavy. At

i

other times V»-nl31 ;>r.p;.

I

labourer earning Rs. 2lJ a dav on othi-r form
*.
Venkiilesh's mother Anjcsnunima. used to
work in vario
*
■ -'rouses winnowing ragi (• >t
which she was p.iid in kind: three rnuddes tragi
halls) and = handful of da! for a day’s work.
Venkatesh has two elder sisters and a
brother who is studying for his SSLC. He also
I works as a labourer for Rs. 20 a day Their
parents died while he was still under jeeta
(bondage). “My father never used to drink. He
got chest pain and died. My mother died of an
unknown disease.” says Venkatesh. 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 time.
When Venkatesh began working as a
bonded labourer at the age of five, he was not
iven much work to do. In fact, he used to play
|ith the landlord's children in the evenings
ftcr they returned from school. He used to be
verbally abused, but never beaten, by the
Gowda family. /Xt the age of five, his annual
wages were a mere Rs. 300. This was in
addition to food and two sets of clothing 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. (Jeel Vimukti Karnataka) a non­
government organisation He was not given
the wages but the amount was adjusted
against the Ioan.
His landlords owned 40 acres of irrigated
land and 30 acres of rain-fed land There were
eight borewells and three wells. X'enkatesh
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 waler the fields on
which grew beans, onions, chillies, potatoes.
brinials. 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
rnuddes 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
fallowed to enter the landlord's house.
Venkatesh was released from bondage by
Jeevika. He studied for six months in the camp
school jeevika runs and now attends the fifth
standard of a formal school while staying In a
free government hostel.
If his labour, while he worked as a bonded

Study campaign
Jeevika (Jeeta Vimukti Karnataka) which Is
running the camp school for funner bonded j
and child labourers. inflated n campaign in
1997 in Anekal taluk ofH.’intmfr.rr I !z+»:-n
j district to ensure that every child below 14
•
* j c?.rs js in school Tn extend this campaign to ;
I 1 5 more taluk
*.
Jv.’v'tku undertook a Teopa-'s !
Mobilisation Campaign for children below 16
vears >n select Grama panchayats. A tu'mi
700 villages is being covered. A "barefoot
research" Is on about the causes of child
labour in these areas The research is
empowering for the activists and is also
generating community awareness about the
need for children to go to schools. The data
collected from the campaign Is being used al
grama panchayut level to draw up People's
Action Plans to ensure that the out-of-school j
children go to school. ■

.
;
I
I
I
j

•

Heartbreaking... labouring under a blazing sun.

Of inhuman
bondage
Venkatesh was bonded at the age of five to a rich land-owning
family against a loan of Rs. 7.000. which should have been wiped

out within a year. Yet, his having to work for seven long years

points to the exploitation faced by bonded labourers.
labourer had been calculated at the rate of Rs
28 a day. which was the minimum wage rate
prevailing six years ago. his monthly earnings
would have been about Rs. 840 and his annual
earnings Rs. 10.080. Even if an interest of 1 5
per cent per annum was paid on the loan and
the cost of the food provided to him deducted at
the rate of Rs. 200 a month, his loan should
have been wiped out in a little over a year's
time. That he worked for more than six years

ISSUES
and that the loan of Rs. 7,000 was still not paid
off. points to the cruel exploitation that he was
subjected to. In fact. Venkatesh had repaid his
debt almost six times over.
Under these killing terms of credit, which
ensure that loans are never paid off however
long or hard you work, it is no wonder that
Venkatesh's illiterate grandfather and father
lost all their lands to thebetter-educhted, and
hence powerful. Gowdas. Had Venkatesh’s

father been educated he would have known the
economics of the loan: the yearly rcpa.vment
expected of him (more than Rs. 1.000) was
obviously higher than the yearly return he was
getting on the investment of the child's labour
(Rs. 300 to begin with). The net result had to
be improverishment and loss of assets as he
would have to pay the difference out of his own
hand.
“Even now. our land papers are with the
landlords. And my uncle is doing JcriH (bonded
labour). I want to study for an M. A. however
difficult it may be. I want to study more than
the Gowda and free our lands from him. I want
to get into government service like the Gowda."
says Venkatesh.
Yellappa (12 years) of Sarjapur village in
Anekal taluk started to work as a brick-carrier
at the age of ten. His father, Siddappa. worked
as a silk-twister, but being a drunkard, he
worked only on two or three days a week. He
could earn Rs. 300 a week if he worked
regularly. And he invariably spent Rs. Six a
day on drink. He had even sold the one acre of
land that had belonged to the family to satisfy
his thirst for drink. He gave only Rs. 50-100 a

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 had 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
Gowramma used to work as a brick-carrier
at a brick-making unit and she took Yellanpa 1
along to work with her when he was ten. They '
would set off for work at 7 a.m. They would
reach the workspot at 8 a.m. and have
breakfast there before starting work al 8-30 •
a.m. Work ended at 5-30 pm. Gowramma
would get one token for every’ ten bricks that
she carried up. One token was equivalent to 4 5
paise and she would collect 100 tokens a day.
Yellappa could carry only seven bricks at a
time for which he got a token valued at 2 5
paise. He would cam Rs. 70-80 a week. The
maisuy had given him a pair of trousers and a
shirt for New Year.
Yellappa is fond of his mother bul dues not
like his father Siddappa had once tried to crush
his wife's head with a boulder. She needed
several stitches on her head to stop the flow of
blood. Ycllappa's elder brother had broken his
father s arm once in a Gt of rage against him.
Siddappa had to take a loan to get cured.
Gowramma's brother had advised Yellappa'
to join the camp school run by Jeevika. He had
given him Rs. 10 and sent him there. Yellappa
is now happy in the camp school. He likes
studying Kannada. English. Social Studies and
Science, but not Maths and Hindi. He likes
playing cricket with the other boys which he is
able to do for the first time in his life. He wants
to study up to SSLC. ■

KATHYAYINICHAMARAJ
Tin's study was made possible by die support of
UNICEF. Department ofLabour (Government 0}
Karnataka and the National Child bibour Project) .

m uie limelight for one day only'Ti'-.
•

DH News Service

RANG A (ORE. Nov 12

"Wo 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 Inlxmr
ers. who poured out (heir 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
back."
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^hted 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.”

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 a remand home but was
never sent to school. He was pick­
ed up by Janodaya organisation,
which has 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 arc no less different. They
have all suffered exploitation nt
the hands of their poor families
and employers who extracted
more work and paid less.
Irfanullah, a physically chal­
lenged 15-year-old spoke of rights
for disabled children including
special toilets in schools and
ramps instead of steps for easy mobililv A Sri Lankan refugee boy
spoke of the needs of refugee ch 11-

dren in India. “We are not given
nutritious food and most of us are
denied access to education. 1 re­
quest the Government to help us.”
he pleaded.
The United Nations General As­
sembly accepted the Geneva Con
Vontion on the Kights 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
rnmpnlgiiH. iitroet plays mid liilrs.
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 State
Government in the next two
weeks.

They get chocolates one day in a year"1'"
vent ion on Rights of the Child as
early as 1992 Io join a band of over
160 countries which are supposed

DH News Service
BANGALORE. Nov 13

Just a year ago. In October 1998,
the Commissioner of labour in
the S^te along with department
staff^Bl members of the Cam­
'
*
paign'
Against Child Labour
(CACL) organisation, inspected 1-1
silk twisting units in Magadi taluk
and rescued 53 bonded child la­
bourers under 1-1 years of age.
The children had been employed
in gross violation of the Factories
Act, 1918, Bonded Labour System
(Abolition) Act. 1976. Children
(Pledging of Labour) Act. 1993, and
judgements of the Supreme Court
and Karnataka High Court None
nt the factories insp-cted had sani
i.-.tion or drinking waler facilities
and most children bad worked for
•wn tn four years.
They were paid Rs 2 iu Rs 3 jx'-r
hour and worked from 7 am to 9
pm They handled winding ma­
chines. doubled and twisted
spindles and corrected deviations
During work, the children were
not allowed to sit or speak and
were beaten if found talking. Ac­
cording to labour Commissioner

to bi

Lukose Vallathurai. action has
been initialed to lehaiiiliiaie the

rescued children and send them to
formal or non-formal schools.
As the nation celebrates Chil­
dren’s Day today, for these and
many more children, it is just one
day when they are pampered with
a few chocolates, as noted by
young Challakumar. Nagaveni,
Sunanda, Shivamallu and several
other rehabilitated children
India ratified the Geneva Con­

working towards a better

quality of life for children. The
main focus has shifted from look­
ing at childred as objects of
welfare to empowering them as­
sert their rights.
"The entire development para­
digm has shifted from welfare to
empowerment to rights It is now
a question of basic human dignity
of children." said Ms Munira Sen.
excutive director of the non-governnu nt development communica­
tions organisation. Madhyam,
which is facilitating the present
campaign against child labour by
several NGOs In th«
* t'i’y

According to Mr Soni George.
all-India head of policy and re­
search at Child Relief & You
(CRY), there is a need for reposi­
tioning a child from being ' prop­
erty of a family" whose decisions
are taken, to an individual with
rights. "The shift has happened at
policy levels but has not become a
reality in this country. The shift
has to happen in the public mind,"
he said.

However, he admitted that re­
positioning <i cliiid withili a family
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
iocus on direct action with home­
less. abused and disabled children
"so that can enjoy some of theii
childhood". Apart from awareness
campaigns, they will also work
with a holistic approach as "it is
the responsibility of those who in
fluence children, to change their
thinking and give children a b« •
ter future”.
"At the policy level, our goal i<
to see that the 83rd Amendment
of the 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 turn of children to ad| dress the Press here on Friday.
The issue: Children’s rights.
The children spoke of the paini ful experiences they had underj gone before being picked for
I rehabilitation by non- govern­
ment organisations (NGOs), who
i organised the Press conference.
of the “spokespersons”,
1 NraBpila (13), said she worked as a
j domestic servant after her father
I abandoned her mother to marry
■ another woman. "My mother had
j four children to bring up,” she
i pointed out.
’
She said that her masters
I tortured her and gave such heavy
I load of work that she could never
j exercise her “right to play” as a
< child. Only after being rehabilitat: T ed by Paraspara that she started
' playing and going to school. "I
. stand first in my class,” she
' .* claimed.
She wanted every child to be
i | educated. "There should be
■ equality. I see lot of atrocities beI ing committed against women,”
I she said and added that she
| would become a policewoman
' and rescue them.
I
But, Nagaveni (12) was most
vocal in criticising the Govern, m^^for failing to enable the chilj dMRo enjoy their rights. She was
■ upset that child issues were not
i being highlighted by the media.
I Children should be told what fa! cilities they could avail of from
• the Government, she said.
Narayan a (12), formerly a
x bonded labourer, feels that chil! dren do have a right to be “free
birds.” But a large number of chil■ dren were not enjoying it. Now
• studying in class V, his aim is to
. become a lawyer.
Sunanda (13) of Magadi said
J i her father’s death had forced her
‘ io work in silk industry. It was by
! • chance that she was rehabilitated
i ; and given education. She hopes
i to become a doctor and rid rhe
poor of their diseases.
The children later released bai1 loons with pro-children slogans
i in the air.
; The NGOs are involving these
| children in "Child Rights Cam­
paign”, which started on Novemi ber 3.

. .

Children selected by various non- government organisations for rehabilitation, releasing balloons as
part of ‘Child Rights Campaign* in Bangalore on Friday.

!
!

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CHILDREN ................................. innii i iiiiin

miremaai
nuuxcM u -J I'C c i

. Successive governments In Karnataka have
claimed that bonded labour has been wiped out.
But this barbaric practice exists even on the
outskirts pt a cosmopolitan city like Bangalore.
KAVITHA K writes about the efforts of a
voluntary group In rehabilitating bonded child
labourers In Anekal taluk

AP ptxxo

4

Freed by human bond
HERE Is a haunting sadness in
ll-year-old Rartga’s eyes. Sitting
-a. hundied up in a 'classroom' in
Anekal. ha stiffens when ho sees a
strange face. He darts nervous glances
every time the rusty iron gate creak
*.
"It could be my parent
.
*
They may
come and drag mo back to our village
and to a life of Jetta (bonded labour),"
he intones, flatly.
*
Rang
* run away. From the ashes
ha
of a life of labour and abuse, he I* de­
termined to build a future. He wlll’only
reveal sketchy detail
*
of life back
home... when he watched other children
In hi
* village near Sarjapura playing
*
bolsterou
*
game
while he cleaned cow­
sheds and courtyards in his dhanl’s
house.
One evening, he happened to watch a
street jJlay pn bonded labour by a group
called Jeevlka. It seemed to him that
they were enacting his daily routine. By
the time the play came to an end. he
had made up hl
* mind. He wouldn't
stay and slave. He ran away and follow­
ed Jeevlka to Anekal.
“We are used to seeing boys like
*
Rang
on our doorsteps. They are de­
termined not to go back to their parents
and d/ianls," say
*
an unruffled Kinin
Kamal Prasad, founder of Jeevlka or
Jecta Vlmuktl Karnataka, a non gov­
ernment organisation working for
identifying and abolishing bonded la­
bour. especially bonded child labour, in
the state.
The Bonded Labour (Abolition) Act
passed In I£T76 declared bonded labour
a crime. Successive governments claim­
ed that boyied labour had been wiped
out. unralntLTil of the fact that countless
little Rango
*
were being driven to a life
of sweat and toil when they should have
.been in school. Such desperate children
are Liken In by Jeevlka, offered food
and shelter. Their parents are contacted
and counselled and if they agree (which
is unfortunately very rare) the boys are
enrolled into a bridge course run by the
group before they gain admission into
government schools.

T

Tlte task is uphill. Especially because
most of these boys are spirited away by

ive Assembly, it wa
*
forced to direct sioners so that their right
their parents to repay real and fudged
*
were not bright spot
*
in their otherwise hdebts taken from -th® landlord. "So, deputy commisloners to call for appli­ abused. "It is the government’s duty to Trudging from village to villag
*
many time
*
*
parent
haver been incited cations and begin th® process of reha
rehabilitate them. It has the money and stage powerful street plays for
bllltatlon," recalls Klran.
to file compbints of kidnapping against
the machinery, so why should it shirk they write .their own dlalogu
u*. Some of them come here, curse us
But the most terrible setback wa
* yet reponsiblllty?” Kiran thought.
songs. They go from door to do
and leave their children behind. to come. Suddenly, a majority of the
But Jeevlka *oon found itself involv­ pealing to people to send their ch
writing them olf a* deadl” *ays
identified bonded labourers in and ed with children who were bonded to a to school, not to the field
*.
Ramakrishna, a volunteer at Jeevlka.
around Anekal and Sar>pura withdrew life of misery. They were confident that vimukthi deshakke shakthi." (Fr
How Jeevlka discovered society's their petitions, claiming that they were if these children could be admitted to from bonded labour wfll make a
murky underbelly U quite a strange sto­ marginal farmers! 'Threats and toddy school and educated, the evil practice try strong) they shout tn the stree
must hove done the trick," say would atop.
when they knock on people’s
ry. Klran. a student of anthroplogy and
*
volunteers, wryly. Around the
They go on cycle Jatha
*
to t
a former Jesuit, began visiting Jeevlka'
same time, Kiran was diagnosed with
With guidance from the Mamidlpudi awareness. Sometimes, they don’t
Handenahalll vlltago (Sarjnpura hobli,
bone
TB
and
had
to
be
treated
in
Venkatarangaiah
Foundation
in
where
their
next
meal
will
come
Anekal taluka) in connection with an
Bangalore for a year. In 1993, he came Rayareddy District of Andhra Pradesh but they are confident someone
adult literacy programme in 1986. There
were a large number of Dalit families back determined to start a serious pro­ and suggestions from advisors like Prof where will help.
gramme of consclentliatlon of bonded Babu Mathew and Hasan Mansur,
in the village Finding in some of tljem
It wa
* a moment of triumph for
Jeevlka started a bridge course where
enthusiastic learner
;
*
he began staying labour, especially bonded child labour.
when a landlord in the Yammare
with them.
panchayat volunteered to support
activities and provide ragi for the
But Klran soon earned the wrath of
."Some industrialist
*
in the area
the dominant ca .tes Ln the village who
shown an Interest in our activities
spread the rumour that he was a
Those
working
for
ieevika
we
have
no
time
to
fellow
up on
missionary. out to "onvert the youth?
We have to think of ways to aug:
What the rumour mills couldn’t achlve,
believe that one way of
resources,
”
they
say,
thinking
of
brute force did.
day when aid from agencies llktXf
ensuring the end of the
When Dalit youth, encouraged by
or CRY may dry up.
Kiran, organised cycle jalhas to spread
practice of bonded labour
The fund crunch has motivated
awarensa on issues like alcoholism and
group to think up novel idea
*
for I
Illiteracy, the hierarchy in the village
would be to admit children fund
raising. There I* talk of invo)
shook and shuddered. A social boycott
*
and milk ctvoperai.
to schools and educating fair price depot
of dalits was declared. Kiran was beaten
in village
*
tn their effort
*.
“Peril
up and told "to leave these people to
them
families can pay a nominal sum <
their fate”.
every ktlo of rice/ ragi and the me
*al
Ixx
police s'.eppcd in and during
thus collected can be used for our 'I
the course of the inquiry, the then
to school
*
programme." sug
Superintendent of Police, Frabha Rao,
volunteers. “Money la always scr
asked Klran n significant question.
but we have to continue our work.
Jeevika, which by now h.id 30 full­ bonded child lalxiurer
*
would
be
taught
"How many bonded labourers are there
*
In the back
*
time staff and 75 part-time volunteers, the three H's nnd anti admitted to gov­ are yet io go to village
in this villigr’'" Klran was stumped.
districts of north Karnataka. We h
started surveys in 48 Liluk
*
of ernment schools at Anekal
Until then, he bod no idea that such a
Just begun work and there'
*
so m.
Kam.iLika and came up with astound­
practise even e listed. That too in n
But the boy
*
do have teething
ing findings: 19.000 bonded Insurers in troubles when It conics schooling. more to be done." they add.
place on the fringe
*
of a cosmopolitan
the agricultural sector, with men and
* if on cue. a small boy with an
A
city like Bai.g-ih’rc!
"Most of them lack concentration and
boys accounting for 98 per cent. The fig­ they find sitting In one place duficult. dearlng smile, tugging his tom shoBut his otliei friends — the dalit boys ■ ures. Ji
*cvika i* sure, will triple if bond­
*
They burst into tears when they think comes bounding In. "5/iofeyr hoga/
— knew and within a week, they they
ed lalx»ur in brick kilns, stone quames. of their parents." Ramakrishna says. So (1 want to go to school)." he say
*.
wipi
gave him a h-t of 40 bonded labourers.
houses and hotels I* considered.
* running nose on the back o( 1
hl
they
are
allowed
tn
get
used
to
their
Tliat was just the beginning.
Threading its way past a stony new life fast. The bridge course begins muddy hand. His parents shuffle
By 1990. Jeevl'ta lud Libubted data
hesitantly. Can Jeevlka help their ch:
bureaucracy. opjiortunlsiic politicians only when they are ready to learn.
on iiontlcd l.ilx'ur with the help of the who snn-ll a vote bank in every caiiM?
achieve a life better than theirs?
"It f<-el< good when teachers tell us
Computer I^'i'-utment of St Joseph’s and hostile landlords. Jecvika made no
If you want to help Jecvika. you c.*.
that these kids an- bright and eager to contact Kiran Kam.il l*rasad on T
Evening College “AU this while the promises of rehnhilLitinn right rsway
*
and
government had been denying that The group wanted to identify bonded la­ learn and do well m all the test
32101M Vunukti Tmst functions fre
bonded labour even existed. But when
bourers first and then help them make exams.” exult the volunteers.
No 326. K.U.S. Layout, Nagarabha
the data was prerented in the Lcgislat
a representation to the deputy commis
Achievements hkr tk^sc arc the only Post. Bangalore-72.

Headquarters. It bears quotation in
extenso'.
“He (Sidhu) also stated that it had
come to the notice of Prime Minister that
certain parties in Naval Headquarters
seem to be favouring the Swedish offer."
I informed the Addl. Secy that subse­
quent to the issue of Naval
Headquarters note EE/0630 dated
June 19, 1980, certain other informa­
tion had also come to tine notice of
Naval Headquarters which merit a
change in the total matrix points and it
is Naval Headquarters’ duty to bring
them to the attention of Ministry of
Defence as Naval Headquarters were
not aware of any cut-off date beyond
which information should not be
passed on to the Ministry of Defence.
“I also informed him that Naval
Headquarters were entirely neutral on
jfc.' selection of either the Swedish or the
WDW submarine and have stated so in
Notes SA/3055 dated May 16, 1980 and
EE/0630 dated June 19, 1980.”
The FIR adds: “The piece of evi­
dence clearly shows the culpable
involvement of
Shri Sidhu even
though, the offer of M/s. Kockums
was more acceptable. It also gives rea­
son to believe that Shri Sidhu was act­
ing in complicity with certain public
servants and was, therefore, anxious to
see that the offer of HDW was
accepted expeditiously even though,
there were serious reservations
expressed by NHQ.”
The FIR alleges that B. S.
Ramaswamy, Additional Financial
Adviser
(AFA) in the Defence
Ministry', “dishonestly and falsely rep­
resented ±e HDW offer as cheaper”
and he did so, it adds, with Sidhu’s
knowledge.
The Naval Headquarters’ objections
/(•Bearding the noise factor were
Pushed aside. HDW was not “able to
guarantee self-noise figures” at all.
Objections continued to be pressed
even after the CCPA’s decision.
Admiral Schunker at one point “sug­
gested re-opening a dialogue /with
Kockums for (the) purchase of sub­
marines”. Bhatnagar shot the idea
down. Papers went to and fro,
The FIR says that in tire earlier
reports by Vice Admiral Schunker, the
HDW had lost considerably in the
matrix relating to technical parameters
and NHQ was repeatedly projecting
the stand that the HDW offer had
become unacceptable/“Yet, without
assigning any reasons^ he deliberately
increased the matrix in favour of
HDW at that crucial juncture in order
to reduce the difference between the
offers of HDW .and Kockums. There
are reasons to believe that crucial fea­
tures, both financial and technical,
Frontline, May 2,1997

unusual circumstances.
Actors in the play performed
strangely. Capt/ M. Kondath of the
Indian Navy"7 (Accused No. 3) was
Director, Submarine Arm from July
1979 to Jtine 1980 and Officer on
Special Duty (OSD), SSK Project
from June 1980 to September 1981.
As QSD, Capt. Kondath was dealing
with'technical/financial evaluations of
the offers for the SSK submarine for
the Indian Navy. He applied for pre­
mature retirement on compassionate
grounds in September 1980 with
effect from August 1, 1981. Retiring
at the end of 1981, he applied for
approval to join HDW on a consultan­
cy basis. The plea was rejected. He
then acted for HDW “in a surrepti­
tious manner”.
The FIR lists the charges against
him and each of the other accused.
For example, against Schunker it
alleges “that on October 16, 1980 he
Admiral R.L. Pereira, former Chief of
Naval Staff, the one person who refused stated that the technical specifications
to budge and who wrote to the Minister indicated by M/s. HDW were not
acceptable to the Navy but on
of State for Defence on February 3 and
November 5, 1980 he suddenly agreed
25, 1981 recording his objections to
to accept the increased figures of
the deal.
technical specifications, with their
were deliberately suppressed by Shri accompanying disadvantages, without
Ramaswamy, AFA(R), Vice-Admiral assigning any reasons ... in the prepa­
M. R. Schunker, VCNS, and others ration of statement of case in
in order to abort the move for reopen­ December 1980, he deliberately
ing the dialogue with Kockums. Shri increased the matrix points in favour
S. K. Bhatnagar, AS(D) and the of HDW.”
Negotiating Committee, by suppress­
Shortly after the FIR was filed, a let­
ing vital facts in the statement of case ters rogatory was sent to Switzerland.
put up to the PM/RRM/FM, deliber­ The Indian Embassy in Berne was
ately conspired to keep Kockums out informed, on July 25, 1990, that it was
of the negotiations in order to favour rejected as being defective, prolix and
M/s. HDW. The doctored note con­ imprecise. A letter from the Swiss
taining the statement of case indicat­ Federal Department of Justice and
ing the status of the SSK project was Police, however, made some helpful
put up to Shri Shiv Raj Patil, RRM, suggestions for the future. It conclud­
on December 21, 1980 and also to the ed by saying that “the moment cho­
Prime Minister” (Indira Gandhi).
sen by the Indian authorities to
One man refused to budge. He was present this request seems prema­
Admiral R. L. Pereira, Chief of Naval ture.” The Bofors case was pending
Staff. He wrote to die RRM on before the Swiss courts. “It appears
February 3 and 25, 1981 recording his from the two requests for mutual aid
objections.
that the persons and
Eventually the con­
the
accounts con­
The Bofors case
tract was negotiated at
cerned are in a large
is all but over in measure identical.” A
Rs. 465 crores at the
February 1979 price
the Swiss courts. decision in the Bofors
level. The estimated
case will therefore help
The time has
cost of the project that
in deciding the plea in
was projected to the
the HDW case (The
come to send
CCPA in May 1980
Hindustan
Times,
another
letters
while
getting
the
August 16, 1990).
HDW offer accepted
The Bofors case is
rogatory in the
was Rs. 374.99 crores
all but over in the
HDW
case,
one
at the February 1979
Swiss courts. The time
price level. An extra
that conforms to has come to send
cost of Rs. 90 crores
another letters rogato­
Swiss
was added mainly
ry in the HDW case
because the offer was
requirements.
which conforms to
accepted hastily and in
Swiss requirements. ■

pro

109

CHILD LABOUR

Children as workers
Conventions 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 ±e 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
age group are not attending school.
12, 1993). The jury noted with alarm education, the jury noted. This failure,
On March 31, at tine 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.
dren up to the age of 14. In a
The jury made 11 recommendations elementary education is the precondi­
hard-hitting, precise and action-orient- on the basis of depositions made by 12 tion for tire success of any develop­
ed declaration that did
away with distinctions f
between child labour in ±
“hazardous” and “nonhazardous" occupations,
tire 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
ut 700 NGOs, as part
s second national con­
vention on child labour.
The eight jurors were
Justice Leila Seth, retired
Chief Justice of the
Himachal Pradesh High
Count
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, compulsory7, 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 the 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
employment in private dwelling houses observed. It held untenable the “nim­
attending school.
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
the
United
Nations malleable, cheap workforce which
constitutional duty in this regard. This notably
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 Slate of November 20, 1989.
While other developing countries absence of collective bargaining, child
Karnataka case) and in February 1993
(in Vnnikrishnan, 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 scale across the
length and breadth of the country,
notwithstanding the existence of
constitutional guarantees and prohi­
bitions under labour and 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 die 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, region­
ally and sectorally. On the basis of
the
results
of
the
Fourth
Quinquennial
Survey
of
Employment and Unemployment
conducted by .the National Sample
Survey (NSS) from July 1987 to
June 1988 (published in 1992), it can
be estimated that 50 per cent of chil­
dren in the age group of 5 to 14 years
in India were not attending school.
Applying the NSS results to age-wise
census of India data, it has been esti­
mated that the number of children
not attending school in the age
group of 6 to 11 years alone was
more than 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 uncoi^
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 takeM
to safeguard the well-being of the gifl
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

policy should be done away with, as
all employment of children is per se
hazardous to the well-being of die
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
WR1 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.)
(1 )Muchkund Dubey
(Former Foreign Secretary,
^bGovernment 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 jury7
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 jury7, 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 prohibiung the
employment of children under 13
because the convention applies to the
unorganised sector.

Abolishing

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
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 the CACL, 12 working chil­ to send him there.
dren from different parts of the
Jupalli Bhaskar, 13, from Andhra
country deposed before ±c 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. “iMy work starts at 8
for her sick mother, bier brother had a.m. and lasts till 9 p.m. For reeling,
borrowed Rs. 10,000
doubling and re-reelfrom the kiln owner
e ing the thread, I get
and her weekly wage
w 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 die owner of the
in the Banarsi saree
weaving unit, who
industry in Uttar
deducted Rs. 50 from
Pradesh, said that his
Nagradina’s weekly
father forced him to
wage of Rs. 70. “In
go to work. Asked
the first diree 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

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: “Modern 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 nonM
formal schooling conducted by thS
Indian Council of Child Welfare, but
she did so only after her working
hours, dial is after 7 p.m. She said
that she was bonded to the factor}’
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 ever}’ 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 chilM
dren are employed in the knit-wear
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

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 ±e rest of
India. The provision is in Section 3,
^fehich states, very simply, that when
W.e Act is in force, education shall be
compulsory for every child of school
age. Unlike previous laws, the Bill
declares elementary education to be
compulsory, without further provisos
or qualifications, throughout the
State of Tamil Nadu.
The Bill was passed in the
Assembly in May 1994 and sent
immediately for the assent of the
President of India. Seven months
later, in December 1994, the Centre
informed
the
Tamil
Nadu
Government that assent could be
given only if Section 5(1) - providing
one of the exemptions for the imple­
mentation of the Bill - was deleted.
Section 5 (1) reads: “Attendance at
an elementary school for a child of
school age shall not be compulsory if
there is no elementary' school within
such distance as may be notified by
the Government, from the residence
^fef such child.” This provision was
^^een as being against the spirit of the
legislation, since it envisaged the
exemption of a child from compulso­
ry' education on the grounds that the
state itself had failed to provide a
school within a reasonable distance
of a child’s home. Indeed, Section
5(1) could be seen as being at vari­
ance with the assurance implicit in
Section 3(2) of the Bill, which said
that in order to give effect to the pro­
visions of the Bill, “the Government
shall provide such number of ele­
mentary' schools in the State with
trained teachers, as may be neces­
sary'.”
After several rounds of communi­
cation with the Union Government,
which took about 10 months, the
Tamil Nadu Government agreed to
the Centre’s suggestion. According
to sources in the Tamil Nadu

T

Frontline, May 2,1997

Children going to school in Chennai.
Education Department, the State
Government sent a request to the
Union Government (this was done
“by October 1995”) to give assent to
the Bill on the condition that Section
5(1) would be deleted. Following
this, the President’s assent was given
in November 1995, on the under­
standing that the State Government
(which, according to Section 1 (3) of
the Act, reserves the powers to notify
the Act) would delete Section 5(1)
before it notified the Act.
Although the Bill became an Act
in November 1995 - even if condi­
tional on the deletion of Section 5(1)
- it has not been amended or notified
in order that it can be implemented.
Neither the All India Anna Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam Government
(AIADMK) during the last five
months of its rule, nor the Dravida
Munnetra
Kazhagam
(DMK)
Government, which has been in
power since April 1996, has taken the
final steps to ensure that die Act
becomes the law of the land. This
delay occurred despite both govern­
ments having a good relationship
with the Centre in the relevant peri­
ods.
According
to
M.A.
Gowri
Shankar, Secretary, Department of
Education in Tamil Nadu, before
notification Section 5(1) has to be
deleted and the amended Bill passed
once again in the State Assembly.
Although tire State Government can,
technically, notify the Act as it is, tire

Tamil Nadu Government, according
to Gowri Shankar, wants to “honour
the commitment made to die
Government of India” by deleting
Section 5(1) before notifying it.
Gowri Shankar says drat 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 drat
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 ±e prerequisite of
large-scale investment on teachers
and school infrastructure, die estab­
lishment of public audiorities and
community control measures at local
levels are crucial for die implementa­
tion of the Act.
Nevertheless, the iniual condition
is a sense of political urgency on diis
score, the lack of which has ham­
pered, in the last three years, the
implementation of one of the most
progressive Acts in India’s recent
educational history. ■

115

SRI LANKA

A step forward
The PA.-UNP accord on the ethnic question
die 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 die resoludon of the
ethnic conflict is vital to the achieve­
ment of a permanent solution to die
conflict,” they said.
The two leaders agreed tliat 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 tiiat 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 odier party, group or person,
sidered a landmark development
including the Liberation Tigers
because the UNP and the Sri Lankan
Tamil Eelam, aimed at resolving W
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 pro­
concurrence of the party in opposi­
posals 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
British Secretary of State
point. The SLFP took tnr
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 Kadirfrom envisaging talks with the
gamar.
LTTE,
says
that
the
Opposition leader will be
On April 3, Kadirgamar,
taken into confidence during
who has played a key role in
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
tunes of the two principal
and Wickremasinghe had President Chandrika Kumaratunga holds a book and a
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 Govennient
power, the UNP and the P.A.
they would work to solve the launched a S12-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

Amit Baruah

in Colombo

T

116

Frontline, May 2,1997

~~73 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 many such
YASBANT NEGI
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 onlj' 6 per cent of Delhi's area
fevered 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. 2.10 of them marine-based. It is home to 1.2
per cent of the country's Hora, with over 2.198 species of higher plants be­
longing to 902 genera and 155 families. Gujarat, in fact, is the only slate where
RAJESH BEDI
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.

BOVINE CAUSE

■ disease—bovine spongiform en- ■!
; cephalopathy—listed to be killed B
in Britain, the UK-based World
Hindu Council (wnc) rushed to
offer them sanctuary in India.
Later, perhaps cowed by the ad­
verse reaction, the body clarified
that it wanted the sanctuaries
set up worldwide, and not in In­
dia alone. Officials at the Union
Animal Husbandry and Dairing
Department were aghast. Said
Secretary K. Rajan: “We cannot
take any chances and introduce
an exotic disease into India. The
livestock sector is crucial to our
economy.” Ecologists are not ex­
cited by the wnc offer either—
India’s 500 million cows are a
major cause of its deforestation.
The wnc proposal seems set to
die with the English cows.
:ompiled by subhadra meson and
SAYANTAN CHAKRAVAKTY

APRIL IO. mi, ♦ INDIA TODAY

137

REASONS FOR BEING AN UNDISPUTED

M B © KBI I? 1 LI B © Li ill
This year we sold 50,001 tractors. Our dedicated work force, our large dealer network and our

happy customers have all contributed to this success story. Yet another milestone for a company.

that is the Sth largest tractor manufacturer in the
world and a market leader in India for thirteen

consecutive years. A harvest in Gold for Mahindra and

MAHINDRA
TRACTORS

Mera Gaon, Mera Desh, Mera Mahindra

Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, lYactor Division, Mahindra Towers, Road No.13, Worli, Mumbai-400 018.

PSL UniMcCann/108/96

Mahindra Limited, a company in its golden jubilee year.

30 - ?/ aj /Py

HEALTH OF THE STREET. CHILDREN - A REPORT OH 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 preliminary discussions
/dialogues.

SCHEDULE
10.00 a.rn 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
tt General Principles of Disease Transmission
if Drug Addiction
if Psychological Problems
Afternoon sessions

if STDs and AIDS
tt Skin problems including leprosy
if Communication Strategies and Child-to-Child

programmes

31.5,95

Morning sessions
if Tuberculosis
if Nutrition

Afternoon sessions
if Minor ailments
if Eye problems
if E.N.T problems

EACH DAY'S SESSION
30.5.95

The training programme commenced at 10.00 a.rn.
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 Prine)pies of 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 throe levels of intervention via., Primary,
Secondary and Tertiary level.

tt

Drug Addiction : Regarding Drug Addiction, a resource person from
the De-add.ict.ion 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.

#

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 never question their attitudes.

ft

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, Gonorrhea etc.
The inputs on AIDS was
minimal as the participants felt that AIDS does not occur until
the age of 16.

tt

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-ChiId 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.

Nutri tion
’■
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.
ft

Minor. aUJoeiltS.
'■
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

#

Eye ; 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-

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REPORT OF THE TWO DAY WORKSHOP ON STREET CHILDREN

Dates

:

6th and 7th July 1993

Venue

:

Community Health Cell, 367,
Nilaya I Main, Jakkasandra,
Koramangala, Bangalore 560 034.

Subjects dealt
with

Resource persons

:

I

Srinivasa
Slock,

Psychosocial and health problems
Communication technics and approach
methodology

Dr. Shekar Sheshadri (NIMHANS),
Child Psychiatrist.
Dr. Shirdi Prasad Tekur,
Coordinator,
Community Health Cell.
Mrs. Indira Swaminathan (Educational
Psychologist).

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.
The agenda items that are before us
are as follows:

Item
Proposed by
1.
Approval of the Minutes, Introductions
2.
Community Health Cell Interaction_____ MtrChandar
3.
Directory (Update)
Ongoing
4.
Coordination assignments/discussion
Ongoing
5.CACL Information Update

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.

At this meeting we will also welcome Sisters Anna and Sharia as our guests. They direct
Navajeevana, Home for Street Girls. As I understand it, they may be looking toward membership in
the Forum.
Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday.

rely,

Brdther Edward, S.M.
Fort REDS,

91 'B' Street, VI Cross
Gandhinagar

Responsibility Bangalore 560 009
Convenor
Tel: 225 3392
Group
Concerned for Working
Mythri
Children (C.W.C.)
Convenor
302 L.B. Shastri Nagar
Mr. Joe/Fr. Varghese Vimanapura Post
Bangalore 560 017
Tel: 527 5258

Development Education
Society (DEEDS)
5/1 VI 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
(lOOFt Road) Indiranagar
Bangalore 560 038
Rag Pickers Education
& Development Scheme
*
(REDS)
RB. 2549,15 Curlee Street
Bangalore 560 025
Tel: 56 9209
St. Luke's Rag Picker
Welfare Association
1 Pampamahakavi Road
Bangalore 560 018
Tel. 660 4065

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
Tei: 56 9209

‘Convenor, 1995-'96

CH <8’s

SOME FIGURES ON WORKING AND STREET 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.
Courtssy: ACTIONAID

on 3

iticn :

A S H A

I, E E P

7/1 Venk.;i t'inpa Road,

Tasker Town
Bangalore 56 ) >51
575113

First project was started

iraa for 12 girl;

1990 in Seva N'agar

In 1992 decision

in the /.

.as taker. to shirt

in Shivaji :;igir area to contact .
girls

ind further structure tne pro

Tne first s

is

■ ■ of tne actual m;

to 3 0 girls :i t.

nlanrr- ■ :->r

12 /ears

* To provide .{

,

i ane-Uealth services

* To educate the .mild and the fac.il >

* To foster Hunan-Psychological-Spiri

Growth
* To integrate the Child in the family
. and in toe society
Religious congregation

and few dorm*•*

* Family visits

* Bath and was ling of clothes
* .'tails ana nutrition
* Formal and non-formal educat on

* Parents' meetings
* Education in life values
* Training in sk 1 Is

knitting-stitening
en/alo:.pos-can.iles - earns

soap making
* Medical Check-up and treatment

♦ Counselling and psyc lological lelp

* Income generating

programmes

(collection clean papers - Rabbit ci
Hanaic r.-i f ts a tc. )
•* Saving sc.iemer

* Recreative .ind eviltur <1

i .'tiviti’s

Future Plan (Vision)

To give hope and dignity
To uelp the whole family to grow

To remove the girl from the streets

To give access to formal education
and training

To rehabilitate

into the society

The most precious gift £•. r

. t-.il.: is

a nappy family; our project aims to
tne anile: in her to x 1 ••

to

work towards the growth ana .'.appiness
of the whole family.

Tne project started for the str-et gir

is now a project for trie street girls
and their families.
ontact oe rsons :

Sister baurent-.'iarie and .'■io.-ittort Sist.

ASHA
A

for

Project

OF

LIGHT

DEEP
street

and their families

girls

AND

PERSPECTIVE

HOPE

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.
Asha Deep - Light of Hope.

Our project has thus the

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.
Non-formal education.

2-

mother tongue either

A literacy prograrane 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 earn­

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 home.

We try

-2
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 organised to give these children the same chances, the same joys

children have in their
5-

that other

homes.

Human and Psychological Development
of these girls in the Society.

is fostered in view of the integration

A street girl of today is a woman of tomorrow

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

Vie believe that the most pee-

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 qualified 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 ethers, to change the fear and lack
of trust into a light of hope.

Thousands of girls need help, hundreds of girls are waiting

The task is huge.

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^... biossom.
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.

)
I

GH 3-13
No. 367, 'Srinivasa Nilaya'
Jakkasandra, 1st Main
1st Block, Koramangala
BANGALORE-560 034

COMMUNITY HEALTH CELL

Phone:

5531518

Ref. No. CHC : &/JC

Deal’ Sir/Madam,

Greetings from Community Health Cell

I

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,

(Beena K. Nair)

'Society for Common ity 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 QE THE STREET. CHILDREN TRAINING PROGRAMME QN. 22nd JUNE. 1.9.55.
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/roade 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 ON. 22nd. JUNE.. 1222

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.

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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

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SUGGESTION

AND

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Please find DEEDS suggestions/modifications for your kind

consideration and peresual.DEEDS is operating in five slum
areas of Banaglore 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 dwelles 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.

Prepared by, Frank Josef,
'
socialworker - DEEDS,Banggiore-46.

***********************

CH 8 H

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 butalso force their children to work. DEEDS with
the help of Family Planning Association of India, organize various family
planning awareness programmes, , . (

6. LEGAL CANCELLING DEEDS'Kelps women in giving legal
councelling on various matters concerning them such as women's rights,
martial problems, dowry, property, job, child labour Act etc.,

DEEDS

7. ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION:DEEDS entering to the area of environment education which our growing
children needs today. It also organizes nature camps, nursery tree planting
exercises & Kitchen gardens.

DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION SOCIETY (Regd.)

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 forward to helping oppressed people to fi nd newmeaning,
a new understanding and new mornings from a life of want to one filled
with new promises.

In order toaddress the worst evils of thepresentday society, DEVELOPMENT
EDUCATION SOQETY (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, our Mahila 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 forthe 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 chiidlife & society at large.

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 world ng 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. Tothis 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,

of children /families aed 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.

3.

DEEDS Support work from pre-Schooling level also.

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 by.ShramikMdyapeeth.

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

6.

Child's growth affected due to his family surroundings. DEEDS
believes in creating appropriate environment for this.

2.

WOMEN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES:-

poverty, & lack of vision.

DEEDS............ THE GOAL

Deeds has set for itself a very realistic and attainable
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 now increasingly recognised as fundamental risk whicheer

& educate them.

In order to equip women with some technical trainings, DEEDS organizing
various trainings such as EDP, Family planning, childcare, Agarbathy &
doll making programmes. DEEDS strongly believes true development can
not be achieved if the womenhood is discriminated & ignored. By
organizing various EDP programmes for them, 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 hospital exists, itorganizes service periodicallywhileatthesame
time spreading the word &impartingeffective education on the importance
of hrgine, sanitation immunization & simple quick remedy for minor
ailments. DEEDS organize seminar &speecnes 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. In orderto make people especially women to read&write
conducts adult education programmes under sponsorship from Mass
education dept, (ministry of HT'jd/

Gn 3-10

"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.

CW 450

^35 AS

Group activities were planned with
the intention of encouraging the
boys Io Ims! people mid also Io
form serious relationships not only
within their own group but also
with people not from the streets
(volunteers, resource people).

Set in the midst of the hills and
the forest, the Gurukula seemed

an ideal place for the boys to learn
about

the

environment.

allorostallon and Its role In
preserving tire environment and

also various current environment
issues.

All the boys successfully com­

pleted their physical

training.

There seemed to be no physical
limitations, given the zeal and en­

thusiasm with which the boys un­

derwent the

entire training

programme.

At the end of it all, most boys
expressed a desire to slay on will,
us at the Gurukula. All the boys

were physically fit and agile and eager to take on jobs very soon. They seemed to be charged with
energy, enthusiasm and confidence.
i

PLACEMENTS
Since the basic need of these children is to be with their families and since

the family is the best

environment for a child to grow up in, we encouraged children who expressed a desire or showed an
inclination to return home to do so.

Based on the interests of the boys, we mot dilforonl categories of employers like plumbing contractor,

electrical contractors, proprietors of printing press and authorised two wheeler service stations (as part
of our ground work prior to the workshop) and not only found placements for the boys in jobs of their

interest (as trainees) but also convinced the employers to pay the boys a monthly stipend.

We also

subsidise their income to ensure that they give a minimum of Rs. 500/- every month.
We also encourage the boys interested in pursuing studies to attend night school at Bosco YUVODAYA

and to take up their exams.

FOLLOW UP
After the workshop, we had monthly follow ups with each boy as well as employer. Whenever a boy

comes to us with a problem of any kind, we attend to him immediately.

Quenching their thirst during the trek.

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.
He was found at Bosco shelter a month before we saw him and took him to the training workshop.

Regret of the past and hope for the future.

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

t

<

£

c

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. Raw 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.

'"To CJkaudeu''

(SH 8-cl

Homan rights march
bw street children ■
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 I
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 '
drawing the attention of the people and the gov­ enumerated in the Indian Constitution — some- >
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

CH

O
;■
i i1

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 25-50 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. (Fiist Floor) St. M?rks Read,

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 Concept
All these findings helped to develop the basic concept:
- this experiment would be for rural children of ages IQ-

15 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 enrollment 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 2-2-1- 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 throueh -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

siders'.

But here we faced problems.

'out­

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 hadto 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 avsilable materialto

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ggi'il uj
y_b Qi
.grfl-iioGSlt ,pn>3 • :. ?Z n:-y'V:..;
W

V--:.

We. .plan..to.. integrate--the topics of..study with, o-ur, on-joes7

going. f ield,^experiments, and. .programmes .

Binc.e the la s.t. ,

year j£a.rmgr,s.., are--being, rtna ined.. t o.- p^p-duc

theizireownvhy“ |z

bridpcpttop>
Though-we..wanted’to' incorporate .the social awareness com-

ponent in .the curriculum/, we, were, not very .much sure

whether the involved:, age group. would, be ..interested ..in
the. ^content and.;,could _.gra.sp its '

-j,:

dimensions. in.!our.:.adul[t..j

education programme 4earlier/-of course, ;we .have .prepared,.

our own primer in the local dialect and used-pictures as_

well as photographs for starting group, discussions leading
to literacy.

One such lesson was ’The Kings of Democracy'

In tnc puzzle of. elections - . _ They fold hands .

'

‘

;

",

■>

■

<...1

.'

They tell us that we are kings/'

'

After, they, are .elected -

V/e. fold hands befpre them

;-

.

‘

'

Tliey rule us.

-

And behave as if they are kings/

- . -..... ■

■

;

-

"We can control them

"

Only if the reins are in,our'hands

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 dec ided to modify them, and experi­

ment with rural children.

-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

The greater task of preparing, and

is only the beginning.

compiling materials - pictures, photographs, slides, songs

is yet to be started.

Earning J^ctiyity.

After one year, the children now can cut. and stitch ladies

clothes on the sewing machine.
on the men's clothes.

They have just started

The teacher draws the figures on

the board, marks the measurements and explains to the
children.

They draw the figures in their note-books.

The

children are taught embroidery stitches also.

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 were’ 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.

evolved slowly.

It is being developed and

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 exp°-riment so fax'.

-6-

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.

CH «.

The goal .of-post-independence elementary educational policy

was to universalise elementary education on the basic partem

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,
educational system.

social and political constraints on the

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 TOO 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 pep 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.
.

V,..w

J

■

'

*=

-- -..

..2
COMMUNITY health cell
47/1. (First Floor) St. M»rks Road,

Bangalore - 5G0 001.

i

,

.

j
(

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
Junior Basic Schools
I-V)

1960-61

1,400

25,866

.7

7.8

351

14,269

2.6

28.7

.9

15.5

(approx.

Proportion of Junior Basic
Schools to the total number
of.primary schools-percentage

Senior Basic schools
VI-VIII)

1950-51

(standard

Proportion of senior basic
schools to the total number
of middle schools-percentage
Students in junior 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.
I

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 aboyious 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-half 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.

-expectations on both the quantitative and qualitative fronts..

The problem that could no longer be avoided was whether the
countrv 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 or 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 teachers1

salaries could not be

provided.

Long before the 1964-66 Education Commission pronounced
its terse epitaph on Basic education-"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 celleges and sch»
ls,
*

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
criticise government policy.
A dim view was taken of the tren­
chant comments, submitted by R.z, singh, who was the Education
Advisor to the Ministry of Community Development in the mid­
fifties, on Basic education policy and its implementation.
junior (primary)and senior (minddie) stages, the absence of sen­

ior basic schools,
of education.

and the lack of articulation with higher levels

The more populist strain of critcism also

perceived in its failure the. successful machinations of the

powerful elites of Indian society.

some cases they were

also held partly responsible for the rural masses'
times hostility towards Basic education.
. -

apathy and some
•
—3

Explicit or implicit in all these accounts with very few
exception was that Basic educatipfl

no£

pesK point in . ■

tbs (Jevslopmanii of would educational thought. " as one of its more

enthusiastic exponents clolrauu, at. i»ei - ->• - - ■-u
- reproach.~ What was rarely questioned-and when questioned not
developed into a comprehensive radical critique-was vzneJier

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 elementary 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

Each aspect begins with a frief statement,

case.

and the argu­

ment is then devloped and explained in detail.

i.

The objectives and content of Basic Education could not

be
"It should be noted that-^rior 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
concert^ and 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 tackde 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 cltlssen oj? 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.

Those were to be correlated as much as ,

■and ~<7vreral__j>cionce ,

possible to the central handicraft,

and the physical and social

environment, in order to establish the foundations a.n 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 m
the craft, and was an aware and active citizen who would help

in the.reconstruction of the-nation.
. _

En short, the Basic curriculum a was conceived.to be a far

.richer curriculum than the traditional curriculum-and one whicn

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 man?

While in its implementation, practice varied from schools to school,
the curriculum was richer if -in. notihing else in that the Basic

school gave a-central position
to
*

the teaching of craft, and

emphasised coummunity- and-..other, practical, activities.
The implications of such a curriculum, as far as the number .

of students a teacher could possibly 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,",.

-

Weighed; by similar and.other considerations

P-S- for example the necessity of specialist teachers at the middle

schools stage, the 1944 Sargent Report suggested-a
*
1:30 ratio.in

Junior Basic, (primary)
schools,

schools and 1:25 in Senior-.Basic (middle)

The 1950 Kher Committee, on the ways and Means of Finan-

.cing EducatiBnal Development in I- di a while strongly advocating
the Quick change-over,-of - the nation
*
s',.academic schools to the-.

Bas j.c. pattern,, with " great reluctance ” aggeed that financial
considerations- necessitated that the-, teacher-pupil ratio should

be 1:40 instead of 1:30 " though from the educational point of
view the change'would be most underrable.11116 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 pot
merely a consequence of the enriched curriculum and craft which

was. central to the concept of Basic education..

Such■an uneconomic

ratio .was: also the consequence of a superior pedagogy which ■'was
expected of Basic teachers than. traditional pedagogues.

For at

the heart of Basic education was thq, notion -that the craft and-

the natural and social environment, Z-which-formed, the-basis of the
curriculum,-were, to be taught, in...an<integrated manner as- far. as

possible.

.• .

....
6

Morewar, the'concept of an enricned curriculum precluded

notion of shrtening the school-day, having £>art-time
classes or using the shift system.

This Could not be done

without affecting, adversely'the: objectivb's'of -cha-1 Bhsid ■

.prc.gr.ajtme. .--And-.neithep: '.couidiLhe-' sbmb--'-teacher5'ba'^'uSeS: -th
teach. two- classes.....(douJple^hhi^tyisyist.errtJt-’^i’thibut rbi-'Mh^- -the
• . ■. . _working hours-.,of elementary. sc-hppi->tteac^ers..I.to.-<hpjyte^cWtable

.... leyeX,

■ The,,implication^ of-;-the cohdept..: pf. jBasi
*e

'edu-bstibn

, .for the Length of... thg school-day- and;- its. fepdamehth-l’. -i.ntfOmpa-

'

tibili.ty with-the. shift-system-'was.: recognised by Bhfeic--1': y

. . .

... ..

. ' .; educationists. i Lor..’according-. too J..PL?. Itei-kbh 3'XiJ" tisXkm
'
d , < X, to ■ l;0 - ‘ ■ -dd
f

Ever since 1937, the . supporters .of Basic': Education ...
had... opposed .the ^tr-Q^i^tjip-ji,^
®$fe, the?

.

^bSP-^ion. of shprfef^.sg.h^p.l-;.h-oupf®- afejtfesp^nximergp.st

;. ,^3

...... . , Jbe. general. .ppLni.p,n.;, .;.t^g.re£o£e,awsas'i t][ia±dthef,.eb:UKtr-Jo ■

' to

; ........ . 9h.ops,e ...betwee.p fwp.mutuajLly . exc.lus.-i-ye?. c.a.t^gpr;ie^-B<s'i-:c7<5r

-.- ttacatiop. or the,..shift ...system.. ■■■:-.... ; -,,-„-i .-Ci jiSb M ~ '-oaf lo.g

. if.

'K ti r?'• .-.-ct.

r

:??."?

■ .-

.Ci’ ; ?X):'.. ifSo X

•

’ ''“ir? ■ Jtr ■*• —■■■

-?r ..

..i. , . \

. i t.*

.7

.ij.1.---

I

On- this:1issue;--the- Basic educationists folLowing-the

■rproeratives of the' concept 'and■ objectives of Basic education

. vie re-quite right: in .Opposing any 'attempts''to shorten the

.

One must disagree with 'J.PvNair who'Trias’'‘observed

school-day.

that the shift system and Basic education were compatible.
.

This-was based, on the fact, that a schema, -inspired 'by Rajaji
when he was the Chief-Minister of Madras,

attempted to

reconcile the- two. . Though’ the committee which issued the
report vias headed by the. leading'exponent of a shorter
duration of schooling and the shift system,

R.V. Parulekar,

■it did not,

in- one's- opiriiO'h,” "reconcile thb conflicting
c>
... •
O a■’!OSfjco. js.
-demands of the -shift system and’’Basic 'Education by -reducing
r,

-formal instruction to 'three hours a day andi by organizing

san< out of -school programme of' suitable activities, to make up
■ for this deficiency",' as
*

J.p. Naik has maintained.

This scheme, .-however was not implemented; neither did it
seem feasible on a mass scale.

For one, it did not reconcile

the, problem of shortening, the school-day because for it 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

village.

This meant that correlating.craft teaching-with

academic subjects would have had to be discarded.

Moreover,

in addition to the problems - of ■'■admihis teiing'"and supervising

the . pro.gramme, . psrents 'ofr bcaf.£s'tne'h in the vi'llage may not
have been wtlLing to thko. on the arflaoua- reeBonsibllitles

7

-1of apprenticing the entire elementary school-going children
of the village.

And if the out-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 school-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 fullThe programme of Basic education cannot be
19
contained within the limits of shift system."’

time education.

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 an additional batch of students could not be

attempted in Basic education.

Its conceptual framework

precluded undertaking such a step since its objectives could

only be met by. teachers instructing full-time and smaller
classes.

Consequently,

mies were possible,

in the one area where major econo­

Basic-education could not even attempt

to be cheapter than the traditional model, but as a result

or additional factors turned out to be more expensive.
Such a cost-cutting strategy was, however, theoretically
compatible with the traditional system.
. with the shift System is pertinent.

The Kerala experience

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.
8

Moreover,

since- the economic and social benefits of the

pnridied 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 monel

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 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 e lementary reducation.

Both pre-independence and post-independence views on Basic
education concurred with the notion that it covered the entire

element ary, 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
education.
upheld.

In Post-independence India, the latter view was

The 1956 Assessment Committee on Basic education

reiterated this fundamental principle that "Basic education .is
•
21
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-tlzen
of India.

A much shorter period would not bo sufficient to

successfully meet the ambitious objectives of Basic education.

■a4A'.<whet would be- enswted, according to the Zakir Husain Committee,
it should be reiterated was,

"the essential modicum of social

and civic traininc," and a "literacy training v.hidi will be
... 22
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,

sufficiency

in Basic education was intimately connected with

the principle of moving towards self-

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 from 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 that;
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

>;ouwovcr,''~siuce-- 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 minimi sing dropouts, was theoretically impossible.
In contrast, nothing conceptually prevented the traditional model

zas 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 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-1 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.
upheld.

In Post-independence India, the latter view was

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 o£..full—time schooling for all

children was perceived as essential for training.. tho^uew^crtajseru—

of India.

A much shorter period would not be sufficient to

successfully meet the ambitious objectives of Basic education.

-11.1 i i... central -to fulfilling the objectives of Basic education

were teachers of whom such a wide variety of . skills^ ar^d. dedi- ,
cation were expected that, given the . salaries, :.and ^status .:qf-p:-.

;W. quid on Ty qp.qv.u dlwpqq
Ji
on a limited scale, ! and .-not in the number's required fop ;a mass'
scheme of education.;
A basic teacher was expected to: possess" avariety of-skills:

knowledge and ability to teach crafts to young children of a
proficient standard which would enable them 'to contribute?to

■' / O' fj

" -■ '

, J
*

. ylllt Iwp: ShoD

most or part of the recurring expenditure of ■thein schools, and

putsure'it later as ap. occupation; , knowledge of, and : an.j
to .te^ctriaria .Initiate,ha-<-Varietyobjects, community

and practical activities, and the pedagogic skills, to correlate

them as far as possible to the physical environment,

social

environment and craft work'which"constituted.the three foci of

.

. . ...

-

the Basic- curriculum'.

■■£ .v

r

-i- t r . -d-t-rdf r cl j?'■ *<" oo

Br6m'’Gandhijirwho:’considered, that' "the

village teacher''has' to be replaced by more competent ones, "
to Zakir'Husain who'■ confessed publicly' at 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
that only 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 year’s training'-was to be provided for specially
The Sargent Report recommended' that the

selected teachers
*

minlinnnvPqualifications for Basis elementary 'teachers be. ..compl'e
*

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 poor 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-iree—and-compulsory- education was
" t
o-.

I?':

'

’ '

f.-iidv- ,

rt'g? had risen f.

r.nls

li...19'16-41... in all tiie

!■-

ov-jr,

r •

a;. ... ' • .

4'5

...~ '

'

\

-O

i. ... -ptimr.ry '.nd

- 5, the t-»a<:hssru '««ru trs-ine-

•

—

~ow4.s>y—to—th©—poverty of the masses

the length of time

in which parents can afford to keep their children in
23
schools is limited."

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 suggestions.

The gravity of the issue 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
basis.

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 pattern of

full-time schooling which the rural masses, who were its
intended beneficiaries, could not afford to complete.

...Il

12expected 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 1
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 responsiblity 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"compelling

reasons" for profiding the necessary "quality training"

year)

(two

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 .het—
OQ

ween the ages of 6-14 years. °

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 fBarners of the

Constitution did,, was to evolve a viable and laternative plan

to the Sargent Report, indicating the necessary steps and

13

-13finances 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 tind 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 mple-

mentation 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 cope with expecations that they be accomplished craftsmen and

craft teachers, accomplished pedagogues who could 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 te-a~

ching and teaober training- lack of finances, etc.)

.-.14

.

Xh ..was- darl.ng to evolve theeretluaixy -i sonum'.- ■-•?..

.■.uo..’.—

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-independence feedback on experimental Basic
schools, that it was not financially a model that India could

afford 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 India thaf the vas majority

of Basic schools were not provided with adequate land, “accommo—
31

r dation, craft equipment, rar materials and books.

In this connection, the Sub-Committee of the nations
board of basic educati m

(1963^

laid down in its report certain

minimum conditions for a Basis school.

These included the

following; 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 for
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 ..
'■'

\

■' ’

end to to'

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 t.y equipment, books, ect., could not be provided!

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 for kitchen anf flower gardening,

... .16
■

ft

’

.

'

i

i

•which was..at fault.

Those were merely the Iggical consequence

of a conceptual frame-work which placed extraordinary demands
on teachers and an utopian notion of good teaching whicn only
guaranteed that it would be implemented poorly on. a mass scale,
Its theroretical deficiencies-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
muss elementary education for Inida when it turned put to be
more expensive than it literary counterpart which the country
could not afford.
•■Basic teachers "were paid in sortie 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.
G~ndhiji 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 wasmOdified by the Wardha

Education Conferences which expressed the hope that " this system

of education will gradually be able to cover the teacher sala29
ries."
The self-support aspect of the scheme was considered
utopian by the Sargent Report which noted that utmost what the

j

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 accoummo-

dation and equipment, and a larger provision of trained teachers
3
to satisfy the requirements of good pedagogy and smaller classes.

15

■'-- puced" with. ±he—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 Baic
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 conditon 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
*
5?

of Saci- sd.ucu—

ui.-n 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."

3B

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 re».iistic view of quality had. been
conceived.

The dilemma that was impossible to resolve was the

provision of necessary human and t^nancial resources on a mass

— 18

five -acres of.-irrigated. land for senior Basic agricultural schools,

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,

buildings.

and only about 50 per cent had pucka schoocbless than a quarter of

As for agricultural land,

rural primary schools had farming land,
34
a mean-area of about a quarter acre.

and that too comprising

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 monyy
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

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
meals.

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 educati jn, it was now exclusively defended on
the premise that

its enriched curriculum promised significant

qualitative changes.36

-1 s-

Scale to implement the extraordinary qualitative changes
which would satisfy the minimum requirements of Sasic edu-

cati 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
39
as to how to do this.

Gandhiji, it should be reiterated considered self-support
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
scale.

'diluted'

but mass

The chapters immediately following delineate this

attempt and its disastrous consequences for contemporary
elementary education.

Since the fundamental dilemma cou ..d

not be conceptually resolved,

the new strategy solved nei­

ther the problems of quantitiative 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 .’nigh 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.40 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.

-1 9However, 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 educarional facilities, that the hural 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 counterpaht and had been speciafically
designed to improve the last 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

from the masses. '

This was almost entirely due to the fact

tnat children leaving Basic schools found it difficult to
get admitted into hign 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

schools were started,

the state university authorities re­

fused to recognise post-Basic

(high)

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 ch.il>da?en to
got 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.

Tho rural.

masses who were supposed to benefit from it preferred the
'inferior'
wrong tree,

traditional education.
as

And it is barking up the

J.P.Walk did echoing a popularly held view

to accuao

. . „90

-she-■•s-jr.'er and’ nririd 1 p. classas, especially the urban elite, of

non-acceptance of Basic education as being the single most impor­

tant reason for its unsatisfactory progress.
that J.P. Naik cited include the followings
labourf

The specific factors
" apathy for manual

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 craftwork.
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
slow progress or even failure of Basic education is misguided.

On the contrary, from the viewpoint of the rural masses, an

entirely different and more compelling argument co-dld be an was

presencted.
From this perspective,

Basic education was being deliberately "

Propagated and given maximum encouragement by the- ruin’na classes,
including the- urban-based educational policy framers,

Basic

other 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

.. spfee adi ng" Bas ic e due ation- almbst'.- exclusive ly .fin '• rural.. are hs.}1 they

lessened the threat of competition from bright rural children for
access tc higher- levels of education:. Moreover-, such.a policy
. served, the class interest of. the ruling elite-, sinep it-institu­

tionally legitimatised keeping the rural" masses in their.- place

as hewers of wood and drawers pf water.

Deppi fee. the concerted

efforts of the ruling classes, it was the vigilance and- opposition'

■

-of the rual masses to the schme which retarded' it progress and

hence'minimesed its disastrous consequences for them.
;
This perspective was most

:

... .p-,

. i.v
.,d
dlearly articulated'm Tamil Nadu

when Raj agopalachari,' ah ardent protagonist of Basic education,
1

_ ■

'

■

■

r-. £

.7

:

■

-r .

u.

a

’3i JOCT/jf

introudeed a'modified version of the1 patter in 19S-3 during the
;.C\-tex?j£re. as thp; (^fef/M^jplstet pf. ..M,adr.ps:. :State J^ri<d^p[5as.7t^ip "Madras
Scheme, -of Elementary .education.
The- .resulting' -state-widepolitical opposition to this schomp,which inluded members from

W

’Within the congress party, led eventually to his resignation

in the .following year.
. The jn&i.n 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 wystem teaching two batches
of students daily.

Resides the academic programme, a compulsory

and ifategral aspect of the scheme was the expectation that

children would be engaged in socially usefulkproductive ‘work
ratine ths remainder Of the school-day.
They were to do manual
.work and learn the traditional emit 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.

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 teach two batches of students.
..22*. ...

Tt also'endevaured to promote enrolment b

shortening the

school-day so that children could work at home,

This was, as

noted earlier, one of the major structural deflciGauhco of
existing .Basic and traditional institutions„

Fainally, the scheme

was expected to promote Basic education in that chirdren woaxd

learn their traditional crafts of the village from their parents
or crafts—men who were experts rather than from, as Rajaji

observ'ed,

"a half-baked craft teacher made to oner/

That the scheme which attamptecl to reconcile the shi_-

system and Basic education and reap the advantages ex both would
have floundered because It attempted to. synthesj.se two xx.tGom-»
patibles has been argued earl2ero

The fact that it wasnot

implemented on a mass scale stemmed from a political opposition
which yas rot g. ncern.:d v ii.n its pedagogic?:

adv-ntajes

uh

the conservative implications of Rujujx's pre-pos'tr tne scne_
me was to apply only to rural areas and excluded Basic institution
and''Urban schools.

From t^te perspective of therural masses, it

was ad 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-scei terated 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

parents' 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 Sasic 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

1 a c mp.
art xrorn
sibilitios inherent

i .nale f ?r its into xluction in urban ar
.ucativo'but prohibitiely expensive, "
craftwork.
town; they walk the four miles to study in a conventional odiOul.
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
47
that " is their explanation.
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 came 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

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 craft which in addition
24

" to • or-'r-lculttiral. labour would make them self-reliant and self-

supporting- 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 be

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 iears

full-time schooling, small teacher-pupil ratios,

and extra­

ordinarily highly trained teachers which the country was not

capable of producing enmasse.

This, in dddition to the Cc.pu.tc.1

and maintenance costs of craft equipment, raw materials

larger schools, raised the costs of education.

and

j.hese expendi­

tures were not offset appreciably by the saleof handicrafts, mc.ee

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 top radically
different from its literary counterpart.

Thus it could not be

dovetailed with higher levels of education without completely
compromising its fundamental tenets.

— 25

-25
Finally, it was an inappropriate model of mass elementary

education to have been adopted1 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 bu$ yet retain
Fasia educ-itj. )n which oe.i; unc jpJ3"iK;Ocl of has silent socxal
revolution.

We institute aalised

"node J, 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.

REPORT OF THE TWO DAY WORKSHOP ON STREET CHILDREN

Dates

Sth and 7th July 1993

Venue

Community Health Cell,
367,
Nilaya I Main,
Jakkasandra,
Koramangala, Bangalore 560 034.

I

Srinivasa
Block,

Subjects dealt
with

Psychosocial and health problems
Communication technics and approach
methodo1ogy

Resource persons

Dr. Shekar Sheshadri (NIMHANS),
Child Psychiatrist.

Dr. Shirdi Prasad Tekur,
Coordinator,
Community Health Cell.
Mrs. Indira Swaminathan (Educational
Psychologist) .
1.REDS (Ragpickers Education &
Development Society).
2.Bosco Yuvadaya.
3.MAYA,
(Movement -For Alternative and
Youth Awareness).
4.Mont-Ford Sisters (Asha Deep) Street
Children Programme.
5-Carmalite Sisters.

Organisations
presents

No. o-F participants

:

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 a-F f i rmat ion 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.
Thi
helps in recollecting the names of the other
participants as well
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.
-1-

Approach in handling these children and methods of studying the
case history o-F 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 o-F
inquiry was
suggested.
Dr.Shirdi Prasad Tekur had a discussion on health problems and
its
causes during the afternoon session.
Discussion
on
prevention o-F some o-F 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 o-F 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 identified
participants on the non-conventional methods.
1.

Learning non-conventional method eliminates the
with the facilitator.

2.

It attracts the children very easily.

3.

It helps team building in no time.

shy

by

the

feeling

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 few questions
workshop
and the answers are as follows.

a)

the

Regarding the definition of the chi 1dren/peop1e with whom they
are working with.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

b)

before

Street Children
Unauthorised slum dwellers
Asteriks
Unshaped Diamonds
Thrown out of the society
Ragpickers
Unloved or uncared street children

Regarding the reasons that force a child to become homeless.
1. No family love
2. Irresponsib1e parents
3. More than one parent
4. Death of parents
5. Alcoholic parents
6. Quarrelsome family atmosphere
7. Forced to go to school
8. Want of freedom what the child wants to do
9. Unnecessary harassment

c)

Regarding the methods which were already adopted
organisations in handling the street children.

by

the

1 . Counsel 1ing
2. Psychotherapy
3. Physical fitness training
4. Providing shelter
5. Fellowship gathering
6. Saving scheme
7. Education
8. Medical aid, and
9. Skill training.
The workshop concluded with the participants'
feedback and
further action to be taken regarding the follow up programmes.

THE TIMES OF INDIA, BANGALORE__________

VfftES

<f f-' SJ </s£>'l4- -

j

____________

CITY Z_____________ _

Street children expose lacunae in Juvenile Justice Act
Bv ALLADI JAYASRI

BANGALORE, April 1:
A little boy who was unhappy
at home ran away to the city to
-seek his fortune. Bowled over
j 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 garbage for a meal. the living
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 91) 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 senior police 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^julelinquent 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, binder
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. '
Most of the provisions focus
on institutionalisation, project­
ing it as the prime measure for
dealing with children. This is
against the principles laid down
in the UN standards minimum
rules for administr;ition of juve.
rule 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.

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CH <3- 3
Advocacy and Social Mobilisation
To wards

Elimination of Child Labour

A Hrief Note on the
Issues and Circumstances

Cliiht Workers in Asin
Madurai, September 20 - 25, JOi/J.

Na ture of the Prob lent
* Causes of Chi hl Labour
»>

The Logic of Etnploying Children

Magnitude of Child Labour Incidence
Working Children and Their Occupation
* Some of the Main Points of Concern
»«

a. Law on Employment of Children
b. Hazardous Employment
e.

Wage Component

d. Universalising Education
e. Export - oriented Industrialisation and Competitive Devaluation of Labour

f.

Children Paying for 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 work-

as 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 workstretched 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 are 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 are 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 or carpet 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

-1 -

country's GNP is contributed by child labour. Some of the actively involved agencies like NCOs or UNICEP
claim that between 44 and 60 million children might be working in various sectors of the economy !
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 percent] 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 Trichirapalli 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 they 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. Thete 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, la the/d ri II ing
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

-3-

the general sensitivity of the people to the situation. But in all such prosecutions, the accused were let 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
transnaction 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 ? 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 i ..i ployed. The working conditions are not only hazardous but retard their
growth and development, and highly susceptible to chronic diseases like tuberculosis, asthma, bronchitis etc.
-4-

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.

devaluation of labour".

This is commonly known as "competitive

Many of the export commodities like carpets, silk, artificial precious stones require

"rumble 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 pcxir 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 slate budget for education, health and chilli 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 series 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.

Peace.
8-10-93

T ya*.'MB
•’J
J

fctSMri

th
I/.:*; v- •

Dear Sir/Madam,

Gree tIngs.
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 i'n 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.
Road,
Trichy .
624
009
DINDIGUL
NADU
TAMIL
INDIA
Peace
Grams :
91-451-5021
Phone :
91-451-5282
Fax
;

CHILD WORKERS IN ASIA

South India Workshop an Advocacy and. Soc i a 1 Mob i1isat ion, Madurai
September 20-25, 1993
Name

Nature of

Tel/Fax No

Organisation/Add ress

Visit

1.

S. Manmatha Devi

Child Relief & You
46, Poes Road,
Tenampet, Madras-18

451548

G. Shantha

DAWN, 48,Dharkar st
Virudhunagar 626 001

5303

11

A. Aruldoss

Bosco Institute of
Social Work,
Tiruppattur 635 601

20788

II

4.

K. Ananth
C. Selvakumar

MNEC,, 34-A Meyyappan
II st, Madurai-16

34185

5.

S.J. Chands r

Community Health Cell
326, Vth Main I Block
Koramangali, Blore—34

531518

6.

S . Shunmugakan i

PRESS Trust
Shanmuga Sigamani nagar
Kov i1p a 11 i 627 701

II

7.

Mun iyammal
K. Ponnusamy

PAPER, R.S. Va'iyampatt i
Trichy Dist—621 315

11

8.

G. Mahalakshmi
K. Naien

CSED, Muthuchettipalayam
33V2, Vailuvar .street
Av inashi 638 654

11

S. Gnanaseelan

GUARDIAN, 2/92 Pudunagar
(Po)Thirumanga1 am 626709

II

•

9.

(

Partic ipant

•

II

II

I
II

10. D. Deva Anbu

Action for Child labour
3A, CGE colony, Madras-41

11 . Vinod Furtado

PRERANA 1-5-139 Himagiri
complex T.B. Road, Raichur
584101, Andhra Pradesh

5125

II

12. D. Ganesan
C. Amalraj

RECD, Chatrapatty\
Sattur 626 203

884

II

13. M. Antony Durairaj

TSSS, Palayamkottai 627 002

72082

t

ii
i

3983

II

15. Caroline Wesley
The concerned for Working
Sreelatha Yegnweswar Children, 26/1 Vanthappa
Gardens, HAC II State
Deopanahal1i, Bangalore

572111/575258

It

16 . P ,. Arasappan

30, Arunodhaya Arathoon
Salai, Madras-13

552557

II

17. Basco Antony

561647
Mythiri Serva Sava Samithi
94, Farm House 3rd Main st
7th cross Domlus Layout, Blore.

II

18 . K .

HOPE, E—29 R.M.Colony, Dindigul

II

14. George

Priya

Presitha Service Society
Pollachi, Coimbatore Dist

It

119. K., Francis

RECO, 44, Chola Real Estate
Thrukokarnam Post, Pudukkotai-2

20 . K. Muthukumar

CRESENT, P.O.Box 89,Pudukkottai

21. V. Antony Crus

Trust for Social Justice,
Santhi Nilayam, 9A Chairman
Amirtharaj st, East Shanmugapuram, Vilupuram 605602

22. K. Syed Mohideen

Society for Rural Service
Kuddiyatham road
Palamner Po Chitoor 517408

2409

23. S. Victor Sahayaraj

REDS, 62A Sacred Heart church
compound, Bangalore 560 025

569209

24. P. Jeevagan
V. Nandakumar

LEAD, 8, I street, Sri rama
puram, Royar thoppu,Srirangam
T r i chy—6

62521

25 . P . Savarimuthu
M. Mercy Rani
R. Sukki ran

PEACE Trust, Near Police colony 5021
Trichy road, Dindigul—624 009

II

26. R. Ramakrishnan
D. John Lawrance

POWER Society, Kalpatty 605202

II

27. K. Asupathy raja

PEACE Trust, Anna nagar
Tirunelveli 627 011

It

28. K. Babu

POLE, Periyar nagar Puthur
Salem 10

29. V. Selladurai
K. Lakshmi

PARD, Plot No:522, Annanagar
Madurai 20

1

II

.11-

Il

i

11

>.

It

55489

II

i

A

1

30. M. Lourdusamy
C. Pushpana than

Dr.Ambedkar Service Society
Ottumpattu, S.Arcot 604 205

32. K. Rajendran

CENTREDA, Nilakkottai

33. C.
8.
C.
K.

Selvin Theophlous GKN, Malligai cross st
Thendral nagar, Gomathipuram
Johsuva
Jeyabalan
Melamadai, Madurai
Raman

34. R. Padma mani

Progress Trust, 41 North Veli
st, III Floor, Madurai-1

35 . M.S. Murugan

IRDT, 5D-1,Sudamani st
Dharmapuri 636 701

82/208

36. E.H. Khanmajles

Under Previl age Children's
Education Programm, Plot 2&3
Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh

801014/801015

37. Bindu Abraham
K. Kavitha

YUVA , 53/2 Marepark Municipal
School, Opp.to Narepark garden
Parel, Bombay

4143498,8:3889811 "

38. Madhav i Ashak

UNICEF, 20, Chitaranjan road
Madras 18

450332/453437

L . C. Symon

ICCW, CLAP 182, North car st
Srivi11iputhur 626 125

II

40. S . R. Bharathadevi
s. Logagu.ru

Women's wing, T.N.Consumer
Protection Council, Madurai

11

41 . Mrs. Karikalan

PREET HI 28, West Ponnagaram
Madurai-10

42. p

Ganapath i

20G, ,'Kasthuri Nagar, Melur

II

43. A. Perianayaga samy

Jeeva .Jothi, 2/88 South st
Poralur Post, Kai 1imandayam
624 616 Anna Dist

<1

44. S. Ch e 11 ap and i an

Chetana Vikas, Madurai

44791

II

45 . K. Aloyius Peter

Centre Radar, Arulanandar
College, Karumathur

(871)208

II

46. K. Pushpa

Equations, 168, Sth Main
Near Indiranagar club, Blare

582313

II

47. G. Vijaya Kumar

Peoples Action far Creative
Jagadev Poor, Medak, A.P

24172

i

II

II

<•

48. R. Karthik

RATS Trust, 270-C Railway
colony, Madurai-1

49. B.M. Kutty

Pakistan Institute of Labour

4557009
4552137
4548115

50. Bi jaya Sa in ju

Child Workers in Nepal

270336

II

51 . Ros aline Costa

Commission for Justice & Peace
Box 5, Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh

417936
F.834993

II

Binu Thomas

Action Aid, 3 Rest House road
Bangalore-1

586682

II

T. Anbukarasi
Y. Sakila Banu

MISS, Madurai-2

41977

II

Asha Krishnakumar

Frontline, The Hindu
Kasturi Bldgs, Mount road
Madras-2

845435
835067

II

\

C= “?•

®4.

Observe r

55. C. Abraham RenoId

GKN, Madurai—20

56. Devaram John

SPEECH, 14, Jeyaraja 111am
Thirupalai, Madurai-4

42855

II

57. E. Vellaichamy

CHERU, Ve 11abommanpatty
Anna Dist

6536

II

34A, Meyyappan list Madurai-16
\
•
i
RECD, Chatrapatty, Satur

34185

II

58.

J. Helen Manoharan
P. Manoharan

59. P.S. Rengan
60 . Jal aid in
•

884

1

CHILD No.17, Jalan Pjs
7363997
9/16 Banar Sunway 46150
Petal,ing Jaya, Selngor Malaysia

II

61. Thaneeya Runcharden

CWA Secretariat 10/68 Tawanha
House, Viphavadirenesit,
Bangkok, Thailand

62. Mohammed Farid

SAMIM Foundation PB 1230
Yogyakarta 55012, Indonesia

II

63. S. A r a v a 11i

Gandh'ian Order Trust
1, New Pankajam Colony, Madurai

•1

64. A. Rajagopal

41, North Veli st, Madurai-1

It

65. Dr.M. Udayakumar

Dept.o'f Leo. Tagore Arts Col
Pondicherry 8

513-2498

p
(

II

67. Fr.Kulandai Raj

Andheri Hilfe-S.I Office
Sang illandapuram, Trichy

68. Kai lash Sathyarthi

SACCS, Mukti Ashram,
Ibrahimpur, Delhi-36

89. 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
Lakshapathi

The Concerned for Working
Children, Bangalore

572111
575258

72.

S. Alexander

REDS, P.B.No:15, Sivagangai.

2449

it

73.

V. Suresh

458, 8th South Cross st
Sri Kabaleeswarar nagar
Meelankarai, Madras 600 041

4926324

ii

74.

Ossie Fernandes

Human Rights Advocacy ?<
Research Foundation, 5 Morison
IV st, Alandur, Madras 16

2349640

75.

K.E. Gopinath

Equations, 168, Sth Main, Near
Indiranagar Club, Bangalore

5823 1

it

76.

Suresh Dharma

Block Theatre,
Madras
,

450931

ii

77.

Dr.Vidhyasagar

■MIDS, 79, II Main Road,
Gandhi nagar, Madras-20

412589
680044

it

78.

Prof.Jeyaprakasam

Dept.of Gandhi an Thought
Madurai Kamaraj University
Madura i

II

177 TTK Road

Resource
person

ii

u

\

.

ii

n

79. Dr.L.S. Gandhidoss

Dept.of Social Work, Bangalore
University, P.K.Block, Palace
road, Bangalore 560 009

0. Thavathiru.
Kun d r akud i Ad ig alar

Thiruvannama1ai Adheenam
Kundrakudi 623 206

31. A. Ravi
G. Ama 1 raj
P. Rengaraj

Peace Trust, Dindigul

5021

32. R. Jeyapandian
V. Sundararagavan

MNEC, Madurai 16

34185

Resource
Guest
Volunteer

8-j. G. Mohammed Hussain
Andrews
Mrs. Merlyn
L. Lawrence
W. Albert

B K N, Madurai-20

84. M. Muruga Periyar

M.I.S.S Madurai—2

85.

0. Nandakumar

Chetsna Vikas, Kadachenandal
Madurai

86.

S. Thomas

Centre for Peapies Movement
J 14-6 MMDA Colony Arumbakk am
Madras 6

V. Ch inniah
S. Thangavel

ROSE Lanthakottai , Vadugavur’Tk
Anna Dt 624 420

88.

Sekar
A lag but Eh a rat hi

RATS Trust 270/C Railway colony
Madurai-1

89.

J. Paul Baskan

Peace Trust, Near Police Colony 5021
Trichy Road, Dindigul-624 009
Asian Institute of Technology
GPB Box 2754, Bangkok 10501j
Thai 1 and

91.

T. Rajkurn ar

The Internationa] Child care
Trust, "Bidisha.", Anandag.ini
6 th street, K'odaikanal.

92.

C. Kumaran

VENTURE, 1/19A, Anna Nagar
Marthamalai 622 101
Pudukkottai Di st

E. James
Rajasekaran

PARD, P.B.87, Madurai 20

44791

It

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CHILD WORKERS
IN ASIA J
- ---------------------------------■—-—--------------------

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^ZO PEACE TRUST Post Box No. 4 OIL Police Colony, Trichy Road,
Dmdigul • 624 009. Tamjlnadu, INDIA ^Tel/Fax : 0451 - 5021 •

9-93
6-

Workshop on "Advocacy & Socia 1 Nobi1isation"
Confirmed participation:
Dear f riend,

Greetings.

We are pleased to receive your nomination for the above
workshop to be held at Madurai from September 20-25,
1993.
We
confirm you r participation. Please arrive at the Youth Hostel,
Race course road (near court complex) in Madurai by 20th forenoon
w i thou t fail.
To enable the workshop interesting the educative, we
request you to:
*

b r i ri g

along

rewmi'i e materials

that

you could

wou1d

prenvnl

your
experience
while organising
working
children
educational
campaign materials, innovative
interventions
ch i 1d ren)

au

(e.g.
among

*
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 participation confirmation
is
transferable to any other member of your organisation.
We
forenoon.

look forward to seeing you at Madurai on 20th

September

*

COMMUNITY

HEALTH

CELL

Ref. No. CHC :

No. 367 'Srinivasa Nilaya’
Jakkasandra, I Main
I Block, Koramangala
Bangalore-560 034
Phone : 531518

Date 2/ j i

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 o-F their
programmes.

I -Felt the need to equip mysel-F 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 o-F 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 workshop.
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. REDS (Rag Pickers Education and Development Society).
2. Bosco Yuvodhaya.
3. YMCA (Young Men Christian Association)
4. MAYA (Movement -For Alternatives and Youth Awareness).
S. CWC (Concern -For Working Children).
The aim o-F 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 o-F 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 identified 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

------------- their oddrccaes-:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------'Society for Community Health Awareness, Research and Action'
Registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act 17 of i960, S. No. 44/91-92
Regd. Office: No. 326, V Main I Block, Koramangala, Bangalore - 560 034

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