Civil society rues violation of migrant kids’ rights FRIDAY, 14 DECEMBER 2012 22:09 SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR HITS: 8

 Bhubaneswar  Civil society rues violation of migrant kids’ rights

Civil society rues violation of migrant kids’ rights

FRIDAY, 14 DECEMBER 2012 22:09

SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR

HITS: 8

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Even as the Human Rights Day was observed across the globe on December 10, stressing the importance and preservation of human rights, yet children are deprived of getting of their basic rights.

The condition of migrant children is pitiable as they migrate with their parents to the brick kilns of Andhra Pradesh and other States in search of livelihood for a minimum of six months resulting in disruption in their studies, besides denial of rights and benefits under several schemes.

The migrant children narrated their sordid tales of hard labour, exploitation, torture and absence of minimum medical facility at the worksite at a workshop on Protection of Right of Migrant Children, organised jointly by Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL) and Youth Service Centre, Balangir on Monday here.

“I have been migrating with my parents for last few years. We work hard till late night. Unless we work, the employer would beat us. There is hardly any medical facility,” said Prasad Kumbhar, a student of Class VII of Taanla village. He confided that as a result of migration, his study was affected.

Unless we make brick, it would invite the wrath of the brick kiln owner and he would beat us, disclosed Bhola Shankar, a migrant child of Belpada block.

Travelling in train to brick kilns is very difficult. From Hyderabad, we move by bus and stay in the open field at the worksite. Later, we make a make-shift house on our own, said Sashikant. “I also used to go with my parents to brick kilns. However, I had discontinued it in last two years. My father died recently. My mother is staying at the workplace. But I am staying at a residential centre here,” said Lekhadhar.

The migrant children who are left behind stay with their grandparents at home and become their virtual caretakers. Rather than somebody taking care of the children, they become care takers of the old parents and nobody remains at home to take care of their studies, pointed out Umesh Purohit of Youth Service Centre.

A concerted effort is required to tackle the issue, said State convener of Campaign Against Child Labour Sudhir Sabat. Balangir district child welfare committee chairperson Damodar Mishra, Samadrusti sub editor Bighneshwar Sahu, Balangir unit Samajwadi party president Arun Mishra and district labour officer PK Bhoi, among others, spoke.