Child labour is a serious crime all over the world. The Unicef defines child labour as some type of work performed by children below the age of 18. There is something seriously wrong with our country which not only fails to educate all its children but also seems to be dependent on them to keep its economy afloat. The country is heading back into the dark ages with only a small percentage of lucky ones receiving education. The number of child labourers in our country is about 12 million.
Children are the flowers of heaven. They are the most beautiful and purest creation of God. They are innocent both inwardly and outwardly. No doubt, they are the beauty of this world. Early in the morning when the children put on different kinds of clothes and begin to go to schools for the sake of knowledge, we feel a specific kind of joy through their innocence.
But there are also other children, those who cannot go to schools due to financial problems. They only watch others go to schools and can merely wish to seek knowledge. They are forced to kill their aspirations, dreams and other wishes and are pressed to earn a living for themselves and for their families. It is also a fact that there are many children who play a key role in sustaining the economic life of their family without which, their families would not be able to make ends meet. Such children are also part of our society who have forgotten the pleasures of their childhood.
The concept of child Labour got much attention during the 1990s when European countries announced a ban on the goods of the less-developed countries because of child Labor. It is an important and a serious global issue and all the countries of the world are directly or indirectly affected by it. However, it is very common in Latin America, Africa and Asia. According to a survey, in several Asian countries, 1/10 manpower consists of child Labour. In India the number of such children between the ages of 10-14 has crossed above 44 million, in Pakistan this number is from 8 to 10 million, in Bangladesh 8-12 million, in Brazil 7 million, whereas their number is 12 million in Nigeria.
The West understood this a long time ago. In the first stage, laws were enacted to provide continued education for all working children. After that, they took another step forward and made it compulsory for all children to at least get the preliminary education he or she starts work.
Child Labour is a complex problem which demands a range of solutions. There is no better way to prevent child Labour than to make education compulsory. The state must take ownership of all such children and make enact strict laws to discourage all who indulge in this inhumane business.
