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
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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.
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