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The Print
3 days ago
- General
- The Print
Too young to work, too poor to stop: Children of brick kiln migrants struggle for basic rights
When asked how it tastes, Rajni responds in a defensive tone: 'This is not bad… It's better than no food.' Fruits, she adds, are a rare treat — usually available only when a local farmer tosses away overripe leftovers. Just as the thin lentils begin to look ready, she pours more water into the pot in a bid to stretch the modest meal, which otherwise wouldn't be enough to feed her family of eight. Bulandshahr/Aligarh, Jul 20 (PTI) In the scorching May heat, 12-year-old Rajni cradles her infant sister while stirring watery dal simmering in a soot-blackened aluminium pot outside her hut in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh district. 'This year, I ate a lot of mangoes,' she said with a grin, referring to tapkas, the ripe mangoes that fall from trees that she and her friends were allowed to collect. Rajni's family is one among thousands of seasonal migrants who travel each year to work in the sprawling brick kilns of western Uttar Pradesh. But while the kilns promise income, the real cost is borne by children like Rajni, who grow up without education, adequate food, or healthcare and are caught in a cycle of generational poverty and invisible labour. In 2021, data submitted by the government to Parliament suggested that there are 1.74 crore workers in registered brick kilns, while independent research has shown that 20 per cent of this workforce consists of child labourers. 'Therefore, it can be reasonably presumed that approximately 35 lakh children are working in brick kilns, with the number likely higher in illegal kilns,' said Bhuwan Ribhu, a child rights activist who founded Just Rights for Children. Most of the families' movement, dictated by the kiln season, spans eight to nine months a year. With no permanent address and no local documentation, the children are often excluded from even the most basic rights,'. Ten-year-old Neeraj, for instance, spends his days hauling lumps of dried mud in a wooden pan. 'I can't go to school because my father says we have come here as one unit and all need to work. If I get a chance to go to school, I would study hard and become an officer,' he said. His mother adds, 'Each one of us, including the children, has a role in this industry.' Children are typically assigned so-called 'lighter tasks,' such as fetching water, helping to mould bricks, or carrying half-baked clay, but the physical toll is visible in their frail, malnourished bodies. 'For every rupee a worker earns, nearly 25 paise goes to the agent and brick kiln owners are in direct touch with the agents, so we get just 75 per cent of the earnings, which comes to around Rs 400 per day for a family,' explained Suresh, a brick kiln worker. Elaborating further, Ramesh Shrivastav, general secretary of the Mazdoor Adhikar Manch, said the system is designed to exploit the vulnerability of the migrant workers and their children and keep them indebted. 'For kiln owners, local labourers are a risk because they can protest against exploitation as they have their community here. This, however, is not the case with migrant workers, so kiln owners only hire them as they are vulnerable and less likely to resist exploitation. Moreover, as migrant workers' children don't attend school like the locals, the kiln owners get extra hands,' he said. Among the 20-odd children PTI spoke to across kiln sites in Aligarh and Bulandshahr, none were currently enrolled in school. Only two had ever attended school, and that too briefly, as their parents began migrating seasonally. 'My sister and I studied till class 5 when our parents used to find work in our village. That was back in 2018,' said Naresh, a 14-year-old boy. Despite the Right to Education Act mandating free and compulsory education for all children aged 6 to 14, migrant children remain excluded. The government has tried to bridge this gap through the Poshan Tracker, linking anganwadis to migrant families, but the implementation is patchy. While most parents were unaware of the scheme, the prospect of sending their children away from the worksite was a deal-breaker. 'Who will fetch water or help us mould bricks if they go to school? We came here to earn, not to study. That will come later, maybe for their children,' said Munni Devi, a mother of five. Meanwhile, local anganwadi workers say they often hesitate to enrol children without documents like Aadhar. 'While Aadhaar now allows for easier enrolment, many children still don't come because of the distance. Most anganwadis are located within villages, while many families live on the outskirts. There's also fear that showing up at an anganwadi might draw attention to the fact that the children aren't attending school,' said an anganwadi worker in Bulandshahr, speaking on condition of anonymity. When PTI reached out to the brick kiln owners, they denied employing children, saying the kids only 'accompany' their families. 'It is up to the parents to decide whether they want to send their children to school or keep them here… how can we interfere?' a kiln owner said. Rights activists, however, termed it as an excuse for systemic exploitation. 'Children working alongside parents is normalised, but this is not helpful; it's hidden labour, and it violates their rights,' said Nirmal Gorana, convenor of the National Campaign Committee for the Eradication of Bonded Labour. According to a local official, the seasonal nature of the work also makes oversight difficult, as the workers come in October and leave by June before the monsoon. 'So, keeping track of their movement and exploitation becomes tough,' the district official told PTI. PTI UZM RHL This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hans India
15-07-2025
- Hans India
‘Nearly' married, minor girl saves her future, dreams
Vijayawada: Shreeparna (name changed), a 16-year-old girl from Krishna district, grew up in a household where survival meant hard work, not dreams. Her parents, both daily-wage agricultural labourers, barely made ends meet, but Shreeparna's aspirations were clear—she wanted to earn, support her family, and become independent. For her, success wasn't defined by titles but by financial freedom. After completing Class X, her parents urged her to continue with Class XI. But Shreeparna had different plans. She opted for a vocational route, choosing a Medical Lab Technician course that offered a faster track to employment. Though initially reluctant, her parents allowed her to join the residential training programme within Krishna district. It was a major step toward her long-awaited goal. At the college, she met Sai (name changed), a 25-year-old from her village who was preparing for police constable exams. Their shared background and drive to succeed brought them close. But their growing friendship stirred concern in the village. Fearing reputational damage, her parents abruptly pulled her out of the course and brought her back home. Despite her emotional pleas to continue studying and working, her parents remained unmoved. They soon began searching for a groom and fixed her marriage to a relative's son. It was at that moment that Shreeparna decided to fight back. She approached the local Aanganwadi teacher and disclosed that her parents were trying to marry her off at 16-an illegal act under Indian law. The teacher immediately alerted the child social worker from Vasavya Mahila Mandali (VMM), a local NGO working with Just Rights for Children (JRC), a nationwide network of over 250 NGOs combating child abuse and exploitation. The VMM team acted swiftly, coordinating with the child helpline, police, Integrated Child Development Services, and Child Protection officials. They visited Shreeparna's home to intervene. Her parents initially resisted, claiming the marriage was for her 'safety,' but the team emphasised the legal consequences of child marriage, including possible imprisonment for everyone involved, from parents to the officiating priest. More importantly, the officials patiently explained how early marriage could destroy their daughter's future—emotionally, physically, and economically. After prolonged dialogue, her parents finally relented and signed a written undertaking promising not to marry her before she turned 18. Dr. Keerthi Bollineni, President of VMM, said, 'Convincing parents not to push their children into marriage is often emotionally draining. But with committed intervention and government backing, we can move toward making Andhra Pradesh child marriage-free.' Shreeparna's story reflects the struggles many girls still face in rural India. But it also shows the power of speaking out. Her courage, combined with timely community support,helped her reclaim her right to dream-and to decide her own future.
India Today
27-06-2025
- India Today
India rescued 44,902 children from exploitation last year. Many still remain in chains
Thousands of Indian children lead unchildlike lives behind locked doors and factory shutters. They rise early, not for school, but for work. They weave garments and scrub dishes — far from their homes, often trafficked has around 10.1 million child labourers. Between 2001 and 2011, the number of exploited children in India dropped by 2.6 million. Most of this drop happened in rural areas, where the number went down from 11.4 million to 8.1 million. But in cities, child labour increased, rising from 1.3 million to 2 million during the same to the National Crime Records Bureau, the number of victims registered under child labour cases rose by 44 per cent between 2018 and 2022, from 810 cases to 1,169. First Information Reports filed under the Child Labour Act also increased by 66 per cent during this period, from 464 to operations In 2024–25, under the Access to Justice for Children programme, civil society organisations worked with law enforcement in 24 states and union territories to carry out over 27,000 rescue operations. These efforts resulted in the rescue of 44,902 children from different forms of to a report titled Building the Case for Zero, the vast majority (40,414 children) were rescued from child labour, while 2,971 were victims of sexual exploitation, and 1,517 were found in organised begging rings. An additional 8,749 missing children were also report, prepared by India Child Protection, drew from data gathered by Just Rights for Children. The highest number of child labour rescues came from Telangana, which accounted for more than 11,000 cases. Other major contributors included Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh. In cases of sexual exploitation, West Bengal led with over 1,000 children rescued. Begging-related rescues were concentrated in Haryana and actionLegal action followed many of these rescues. Out of the 27,320 cases, 9,595 FIRs were filed, and another 6,959 cases were logged as General Diary entries. According to the report, about 92 per cent of GD entries are typically converted into FIRs.A total of 5,809 individuals were arrested in connection with these operations, with 85 per cent of them linked to child labour cases. Telangana, at 2,247, had the highest number of arrests, followed by Bihar, Rajasthan, and Assam. However, some high-rescue states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh had low arrest numbers, 167 and 93, IssueIn 2015, during the UN General Assembly Summit, 193 nations, including India, committed to Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, which aims to eliminate all forms of child labour, as well as modern slavery and human trafficking, by the year to a 2025 International Labour Organisation report, 138 million children globally are still engaged in child labour, with 54 million involved in hazardous occupations.- EndsTune InMust Watch
New Indian Express
24-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Telangana tops child labour rescues in 2024-25; leads in raids, arrests: Report
HYDERABAD: Telangana has emerged as the top state for child labour rescues in 2024-25, with 11,063 out of 53,651 rescues nationwide. The state also recorded the most rescue operations, with JRC partners conducting 7,632 out of 38,388 actions across 24 states and UTs, in coordination with law agencies. National Convenor for Just Rights for Children (JRC) Ravi Kant told TNIE, 'Nearly 90% of rescued children across India are aged between 10-14. They were found working in sectors classified as the worst forms of child labour, including spas, massage parlours, orchestras, automotives, where they were asked to do hazardous work, and places where they were subjected to prostitution, pornography, and other forms of sexual exploitation.' These findings were part of the report titled Building the Case for Zero: How Prosecution Acts as a Tipping Point to End Child Labour, published by the Centre for Legal Action and Behaviour Change (C-LAB), the research wing of India Child Protection. Ravi Kant further stated: 'We have a network of 200 NGOs spread across 426 districts. We partner with the local law enforcement agencies and run special drives and campaigns, through which we can get this breakthrough. Speaking of Telangana, children were rescued from a total of 26 districts with the help of 10 NGOs.' The report revealed that 38,388 FIRs were registered and 5,809 arrests were made, 85% of which were related to child labour. Telangana topped the list in terms of most raids, followed by Uttar Pradesh (2,469), Rajasthan (2,453), and Madhya Pradesh (2,335). In terms of rescue, the top five states were: Telangana with 11,063, followed by Bihar (3,974), Rajasthan (3,847), Uttar Pradesh (3,804), and Delhi (2,588). States like Madhya Pradesh had fewer arrests despite high rescue numbers, highlighting enforcement gaps, the report said. Rescue operations, legal action The report accessed by TNIE further states that a total of 27,320 rescue operations were conducted across 24 states and UTs in 2024-25. Telangana (7,632) reported the highest number, followed by Uttar Pradesh (2,469), Rajasthan (2,453), and Madhya Pradesh (2,335). Under the Access to Justice for Children programme, legal action was taken in all 27,320 cases, of which 35% (9,595) resulted in FIRs, 25% (6,959) resulted in General Diary (GD) entries, and 92% of GD entries between 2021-2023 were later converted into FIRs.
The Hindu
24-06-2025
- The Hindu
Telangana tops India in child labour rescues, arrests: Report
Telangana has emerged as India's leading State in tackling child labour and trafficking, with over 11,000 children rescued in the financial year 2024–25. This finding was mentioned in 'Building the Case for Zero' — a report by India Child Protection that assesses rescue operations and legal action across 24 States. According to the findings, 53,651 children were rescued across India by Just Rights for Children (JRC), a national network of over 250 NGOs. Of these, Telangana accounted for 11,063 rescues and 7,632 operations in 2024-25, outpacing larger States like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The report lauds the State's strong coordination between civil society groups and law enforcement agencies. Telangana also led in arrests, with 2,247 individuals (2,226 for child labour, 21 for sexual exploitation) arrested for offences linked to child exploitation. This legal follow-through stood in contrast to States like Uttar Pradesh, which despite rescuing over 4,095 children, made just 167 arrests, pointing to serious enforcement gaps. The report noted that 85% of all arrests nationally were related to child labour. Across the country, the most alarming trend was that nine out of 10 rescued children were engaged in the worst forms of labour, from sweatshops and domestic servitude to massage parlours, orchestras and street begging. 'These sectors, often unregulated and hidden, leave children vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse,' as stated in the report. The report stressed that while rescue operations are crucial, they must be backed by legal prosecution and rehabilitation. In Telangana's case, rescue was often followed by arrests and formal complaints, reinforcing deterrence. Dedicated rehabilitation fund To address this, the report recommends launching a National Mission to End Child Labour, backed by a dedicated rehabilitation fund, with legal enforcement at its core. A dedicated central Child Labour Rehabilitation Fund is also essential in providing financial support for the timely rehabilitation of rescued child labourers. It also calls for district-level child labour task forces, universal free and compulsory education up to the age of 18, and a zero-tolerance policy for the use of child labour in public procurement and supply chains. Mandatory prosecution of employers is deemed essential to break the cycle of abuse. 'The fact that such a large number of children were engaged in the worst forms of child labour shows that despite the efforts of the government and civil society, our national resolve to eliminate child labour remains incomplete,' said Ravi Kant, National Convener, Just Rights for Children.
