‘Migrant kids are most invisible & exploited’Monday, 16 September 2019 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR

‘Migrant kids are most invisible & exploited’

Monday, 16 September 2019 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR

    

A regional-level consultation on protection of rights of migrant children was held here on Friday by the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and Aide et Action, Bhubaneswar.

It was attended by officials of various departments like Labour, Child Development and Education. CDPOs, members of Child Welfare Committee ChildLine, NGOs and civil society organisations from Balangir, Nuapada, Kalhandi and Bargarh districts were present.

According to the Census 2011 reports, there are  453.6 millions migrants in India out of which 46.3 millions are migrating for work and employment. Similarly, 14.6 million people of Odisha are migrants.

As per the UNESCO, children constitute 15 per cent of the total migrants in India.  Child migration, or children in migration  is the movement of children within or outside of the State boundaries, with or without parents or legal guardians.

The children, who largely migrate seasonally with their parents to the inter-State and intra-State destination, are deprived of basic education, child care, immunisation, health nutrition and protection from abuse and child labour. Brick kilns are one such informal sector where infant to adolescent live for 7-8 months as invisible entity and subjected to exclusion, exploitation and abuse.

A study conducted by the International Labour Organisation and Aide et Action in 100 villages of Kalahandi, Balangir and Nuapada districts during 2011-12 revealed that among the brick kiln migrant workers families, children constitute 35 per cent (children below 6 years 13 per cent and 6-14 age group 22 per cent) of the total migrant population.

The migration data from the Labour Department suggest that close to 1,40,000 people are registered under the ISMWA and majority of the workers are from western Odisha. The labour registration data at the districts doesn’t provide any gender and age specific information about the migrants.  Therefore, children always remain invisible and unreached.

Among others, Chairperson, State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) Sandhyabati Pradhan, district  Collector, Balangir, Arindam Dakua, Director-Migration and Education, Aide et Action, South Asia, Ummi Daniel and Member, SCPCR Harihar Naik deliberated on the issue.