Child Labor in India:A Multi-Disciplinary Approach

Abstract

     The subsistence and perpetuation of child labor is a blot on the conscience of modern-day civilized society. Though children are born free and equal, they often face an uncertain future and the possibility of becoming prey to the exploitative set up of society. Regrettably, they are denied opportunities and are ultimately subjected to enter the workforce. The predicament of child labor is a warning sign of pervasive diseases, due to an exploitative structure, lopsided development, and the inequities of resources ownership, with its correlation between large-scale unemployment and miserable poverty in many countries. India has a huge number of working children. The majority of these children are subjected to the worst forms of exploitation and abuse. Notwithstanding the constitutional provisions to safeguard against child abuse, unabashed neglect persists. Children are forced to work under atrocious conditions and in hazardous sectors, where the major segment of child labor occurs. In this paper, an attempt has been made to draw the attention of the policy makers to the best approach to solve the child-labor problem. The paper is based on the author's few years of field experience in several parts of southern India.