Rich kids play, poor kids slave

Wednesday, 3 April, 2013 8:13 AM

"Meredith Alexander - Avaaz.org" <avaaz@avaaz.org>

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"nksagar_1@yahoo.com" <nksagar_1@yahoo.com>

Dear friends across India,

Days ago, 7 kids were rescued from dangerous and back-breaking labour with goldsmiths. Instead of feeling helpless about the hundreds of thousands like them, we can finally do something. The government has just opened up a consultation on ways to strengthen India’s child labour laws. Click below to send a message directly to the consultation to protect India's kids:

Days ago, seven children were rescued from goldsmith units where they were toiling away under dangerous conditions, breathing noxious fumes. They are among tens of thousands of children forced into back-breaking labour every year, but instead of feeling helpless, this week we can finally do something.

Parliament has proposed a new law to crackdown on child labour. For the next two days we've got a crucial window to make our voices heard in the public consultation. Let's raise our voices to speak for those who can't.

So let's send the public consultation a rousing message: Pass a strong law without any further delay! Send a message now directly into the official government process before it closes and then share it with others:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/india_child_labour_fax/?bTfWiab&v=23604

India is home to the largest child labour force in the world with nearly 12.6 million kids engaged in different industries. Tragically, nearly 44,000 children are taken every year and forced into mines, quarries, factories, brothels, restaurants, embroidery units and even domestic service. Thankfully, the newly proposed law would outlaw employing any child under 14 and would impose tough restrictions and penalties on other practices that contribute to the problem.

But the proposed law still has flaws. For example, the new law doesn't include child trafficking as an offense, and doesn't provide for the rehabilitation of rescued kids. We need to weigh in on the public consultation to make sure to fix these problems and pass the strongest law possible.

Critics say the real problem isn’t the law, it’s bad enforcement. And it’s true that in the last three years in India less than 10% of the 450,000 reports of child labour were prosecuted under the existing, weak, law. But the new law can pack some serious punch if we engage with it now and get things like trafficking and rehabilitation in there.

Unfortunately, Parliament has not shown any urgency in acting to ban child labour. But since the process is open to a public consultation now, we can get thousands of messages flowing in and ensure that Parliament sees we are deadly serious about rescuing India’s lost generation of kids with a tough new law. So act now and share widely:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/india_child_labour_fax/?bTfWiab&v=23604

Thousands of Avaaz members sent in their recommendations to the government committee set up after the Delhi gang rape and in a few months the government was forced to start to address the rape epidemic. Let’s come together again -- this time for India’s kids -- so that they can enjoy their rights and freedoms.

With hope and determination,

Meredith, Alaphia, Patricia, Emma, Ricken, Wen-Hua, Mais and the rest of the Avaaz team


MORE INFORMATION

NGO, labour officials rescue 10 child labourers (Times of India)
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-26/nashik/38039895_1_labour-officials-rescue-child-labourers-assistant-labour-commissioner

India proposes ban on child labor (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/india-proposes-ban-on-child-labor/2012/08/29/ef9d802a-f1f2-11e1-a612-3cfc842a6d89_story.html

Getting ready for the new law against child labour (The Hindu)
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article3878212.ece

Child Trafficking (Global March)
http://www.globalmarch.org/issues/Child-Trafficking

End Child Labour and Educational Disadvantage - report and film
http://educationenvoy.org/

12.6 million child labour in India: Centre to SC (Deccan Herald)
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/51616/126-m-child-labour-india.html