Poverty

How Child Labor is Directly Connected to Poverty?

 ( By Suhana Ahmed ) 

Image By:- Goutham Sagar

One living in a developing or an under-developed country is not unaware of the evident poverty the country faces. Even if the country's economy is quite decent, there are going to people living in poverty, and in India, as recorded, there are 23% of the people fall under "Below Poverty Line".

What is poverty? It is the condition where one cannot even afford basic facilities and amenities for their survival. In other words, they lack money. It is a horrible situation for someone to struggle for even a meal. 

The need for money leads a human to different paths, some self-destructive, some that ruin childhood and steal the opportunity and the fundamental right to education. 

The poverty in India is based on a particularly structured manner where the distribution of resources is so uneven, and to add upon it, the horrible caste system has worsened it to absolute. For example, As per OXFAM Survey, 73% of the total wealth of the country is held by the wealthiest 1% of the population and the rest 99% are struggling with the remaining 30%. Now, if the section of the poor class is considered, i.e., the ones living in poverty, they would not be having even a fraction of this 1%. 

 As a nation, not only have we failed to reach out to the villages of the country but also have not been able to develop the cities. We can also see many slums in the middle of the cities, including the metropolitan areas. 

There are airports, metro stations, five-star hotels, classy hospital, and what not in the same city where some are still struggling to get food and clean water. There are huge flyovers being built in the cities under which certain people struggle to exist. 

There is a huge inequality in the distribution of capital & resources. Laborers are getting less than the minimum wages set by the government. It has become a habit of the Indian consumers to pay less to labors like mechanics, farmers, etc. We need to understand that they are human too and they require to be paid sufficiently for their work to have a healthy lifestyle. It is their right to get the fruit that does justice to their hard work and time. 

The definition of healthy living differs from one another. The middle class of society has the aim of building a proper house, having a good education for children, insurance in case of any emergencies, savings, etc. But the poor class of the society still strives to have proper food and basic medical facilities- the ‘Future’ doesn't cross their mind as they thrive to sustain one more day every day.

When one is not able to fulfill their needs, they cannot think of completing their desires. It is the sad reality of a country that the basic amenities are still a dream to many and food and a roof on top is still a luxury. 

The wages paid to the poor are so low that a sole bread-earning member cannot even serve a family of 4-5 people, and that is the reason why the other members of the family have to work including the children. Children who were supposed to go to school, who were supposed to learn and gain knowledge are compelled to earn to feed their family sufficiently. 

There are people who suggest stopping child labor but they don't entirely analyze the situation of their families. We cannot ask someone who is hungry to study. It is so insensitive and cruel that even after 75 years of independence of the country there are people who are still struggling for proper food and clean water. Isn't it surprising that everyone in a family is earning and are still not being able to come out of their miserable conditions? And it is all because we have given them less attention, fewer wages, less respect, and less representation in society. They are curbed of their rights and are not validated by society. 

Responsibilities can make you age fast and can snatch the gold during the period of childhood. The child who comes to a restaurant for a family dinner is way too different from the child who will be serving them the food (Any Child aged b/w 14-18 doesn’t come under the ambit of Labor Laws for such business but they are Child until they retainage of 18 as per definition of Child under POSCO act). The child working in a restaurant has a lot of pressure on them to earn.

Things don't stop here. Even after knowing that a child working in a small restaurant is supporting their poor family, people don't respect them, don't talk to them properly, and often use offensive language to address them. Even after facing all this, gaining all the traumatic and invalid experiences, they still don't get the proper amount for them to sustain. 

We have seen multiple occasions where the owner or the employer has been seen bashing the child just for some petty mistakes. There is no security and safety for the child. There are times when they are sexually assaulted, physically, and emotionally abused, and in extreme cases, probably murdered. 

Now, the question is how things can improve. By analyzing the condition of their families, we can certainly say that banning child labor in the first place can not be the only solution. Here are some steps that can be helpful.

1. Proper deposition of the dispensation of taxes by the government and authorities.

2. Arrangement for free universal medical facilities and education. Now, At least for the poor. 

3. Mid-day meals happened to be a good idea but its implementation was so miserable that there was no education in the schools but children used to come only for 30 minutes lunch break. And the quality of the food was also substandard.

4. Setting up minimum wages to a sensible level and reducing the wage difference.

5. Giving equal opportunities and respect to everyone. 

Rest depends on the implementation of the plans. Because there have been many of them before.

This is a problem that can be tackled if all of us join our hands together and contribute in any way possible for us. It is our responsibility to look out for our fellow citizens at least for the sake of humanity. 

Child labor won't stop until children get easy access to the basic facilities and it is unfair to forbid the kids from working unless they are given better lives and the necessities for survival by state. 

 

Disclaimer:-

The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Light de Literacy and LDL does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.