IN KASHMIR thousands of children are working at different places under pathetic conditions. In a single district of Kupwara in North Kashmir 21,000 children have never gone to schools. Not only this there are also a large number of dropouts. These children who once dreamed of becoming doctors or engineer are now helpless with not only the government but also the media turning their back.

 

At the tender age when they should have been in schools shaping themselves for better tomorrow, they are working as labourers at different places to feed their families. Despite much hue and cry over the issue both at the global and national level, the menace of child labour continues in several parts of India. Kashmir valley is not an exception where scourge of child labour also remains unchecked.

 

Every state has a moral obligation to provide all children with care and equal opportunities in education, but these rules are not implemented. These are rather flouted. Every year crores of rupees are being spent through Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in a bid to attain total literacy across the country.

In Kashmir valley thousands of children are stranded into this socio-economic problem. The district of Kupwara in North Kashmir is badly affected with menace of child labour and likely will top list of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) if preventive measures are not taken. In this district alone 14,000 children at the age group of six to14 years are working in different business establishments while 7000 children at the age group 15 to17 are working in hotels, private houses, shops as sweepers and even bus conductors. This clearly indicates that 21,000 children have never been to schools. Not only this, there are also a large number of drop-outs who have been forced to leave their studies mid-way due to abject poverty, economic instability or even illiteracy and unawareness among their parents. The areas where child labour is more rampant are identified as Dardpora, Batpora, Haihama, Babapora, Halmatpora, Rajwara, Gujarpati Sogam, Kalaroosa and also those, which are adjacent to Line Of Control (LOC).

     

Riyaz Ahmad, 14 years old, has a strong urge to study and is fond of playing cricket but is working at a provisional store since he was just seven. “I have never been to school. I wish to be there playing with other children but I have to be at shop from 9am to 6pm and never get a chance to play like other children,” says this innocent boy.

   

Munawar Hussain, now 18, started working as a conductor of a minibus when he was just six, he still yearns to be a doctor but as fate lies he never made it to school and fulfill his dream. “My father died when I was just six months old. I have six sisters elder and there was nobody to support this large family leaving no option but to work and feed my family,” says Munawar.

  

“I don’t want to join school as in that case there will be no one to support our family financially,” says Gulfam, 13 years old. Same is the case with Laila, this cute little girl with dimples deep on both her cheeks. She left the school at the age of eight when she was in class two and is now engaged in household duties at a house in Srinagar, but has strong desire to resume her classes and aspire for a better living.

           

Similar cases are witnessed in other parts of the valley. Concerned authorities are silently watching and seem totally non-serious to control this growing menace ignoring serious repercussions ahead. Even the media network both national as well as the local newspapers are turning a deaf ear to this grave problem of the society.