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Employment of girl child as domestic help high in Dhubri district

By Correspondent

DHUBRI, June 14 - A study presented during the observance of World Day Against Child Labour, says that the employment of girl child in the form of domestic help is not only very high in the district but is also an issue that remains unattended.

While presenting a study by the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan Mission (SSA), the District Programme Officer of SSA, Abhijit Chakraborty said that the issue of keeping a child labour for domestic help remains invisible because such labours are kept mainly within the four walls of the families belonging to the upper class, upper-middle class and middle class section of the society. He also said that engaging such labour is mainly seen in the homes of the educated masses and in the residence of individuals who are respected in the society.

The study also reveals that parents of the child themselves keep their children, mainly the child for domestic help. He also revealed that the money that these minor labour earn is mainly taken away by their parents, while the child has to face all the struggles that sometimes includes mental and physical harassment.

�The number of child labour is high because they are cheap to employ, easy to dominate and are non-demanding� said Chakraborty during the observation of the day, organised by SSA in association with the district administration, Department of Labour and Welfare and Unicef.

He also revealed that employing a labour for domestic help hampers the child psychologically which haunts her for her entire lifetime. It was also informed that apart from engaging a girl child for domestic help, child labour in the district can be widely seen in brick manufacturing units, as handyman in various public transports (mainly in tempos, auto rickshaws and e-rickshaws), in restaurants and tea stalls, begging, farming etc.

It may be mentioned that the condition of the body meant to curb child labour in the district is itself very poor. Johirul Islam, member of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) said that at a time when child labour is such a big issue in the district, there is no unit of Childline here. �If one calls 1098, i.e., the Childline to rescue a child in danger, then they operate from Guwahati or Kokrajhar. They refer the case to officials of other departments of the district and the procedure takes a long time giving an ample time for the child abuser to escape�.

The member of CWC also said that the task force to control child labour in the district is also non-functional since years. �Many of the members of the Child welfare task force have either been transferred or are very inactive and a few have also died. Since the last two years there has not been a single activity of this task force� added Islam who also said, �in such a condition, even if a child labour is spotted where will the complainant go. How a child who is being abused can expect security and justice�. The programme was inaugurated by the Deputy Commissioner, Dhiraj Chaudhary and attended by the District Development Commissioner Mahmood Hassan along with other dignitaries at the office of the SSA.

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