Workshop on Bonded and Child Labour
The National Human Rights Commission held a National Level Workshop on Bonded and Child Labour in New Delhi on June 27, 2007. The workshop was inaugurated by Justice Shri S. Rajendra Babu, Chairperson, NHRC.
Justice Shri S. Rajendra Babu in his inaugural address at the Workshop said that existence of bonded labour is a Challenge to the civilization and a betrayal of Constitutional culture. He said that bonded labour is a violation of human rights and contravention of international obligations. He called it a stigma and a shame on national life.
Justice Shri S. Rajendra Babu called for psychological rehabilitation of the bonded labour besides physical and economic rehabilitation to ensure that they do not go back to the cycle of bonded labour again. The Chairperson asked all those present at the Workshop to carry out proper surveys in their respective States to ascertain the presence of bonded labour.
The daylong deliberations included a number of topics like - Constitutional provisions, Bonded Labour System (Abolition Act), Disowning by States the existence of bonded/child labour, Centrally sponsored Schemes, Convergence of schemes for meaningful, Permanent and effective rehabilitation, Special problems on identification, Release and rehabilitation of migrant bonded labourers (adults and children). Child labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, National Child Labour Project, State Level Monitoring Committee, District and Sub-divisional level Vigilance Committees, Orientation and Training of Members of Vigilance Committees and Magistrates, Role of NGOs and Monitoring and Evaluation of administrative structure in different states. Senior officials of the central and State government participated at the Workshop.
Since 2003, the Commission has been organizing a number of workshops on Bonded and Child Labour in association with the Ministry of Labour and concerned State Governments for District Magistrates and other State Governments officials. These workshops came out with a number of recommendations including - Immediate financial relief of Rs.1000/- to each of the identified and released bonded labourers, prosecution to be launched in all cases of bondage, convergence of work done by Government Department and NGOs, constitution of District and sub-divisional level Vigilance Committees, comprehensive psychological rehabilitation of the families and severe punishment to brokers and middleman who traffic child labour and export children from one State to another.
Justice Shri S. Rajendra Babu in his inaugural address at the Workshop said that existence of bonded labour is a Challenge to the civilization and a betrayal of Constitutional culture. He said that bonded labour is a violation of human rights and contravention of international obligations. He called it a stigma and a shame on national life.
Justice Shri S. Rajendra Babu called for psychological rehabilitation of the bonded labour besides physical and economic rehabilitation to ensure that they do not go back to the cycle of bonded labour again. The Chairperson asked all those present at the Workshop to carry out proper surveys in their respective States to ascertain the presence of bonded labour.
The daylong deliberations included a number of topics like - Constitutional provisions, Bonded Labour System (Abolition Act), Disowning by States the existence of bonded/child labour, Centrally sponsored Schemes, Convergence of schemes for meaningful, Permanent and effective rehabilitation, Special problems on identification, Release and rehabilitation of migrant bonded labourers (adults and children). Child labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, National Child Labour Project, State Level Monitoring Committee, District and Sub-divisional level Vigilance Committees, Orientation and Training of Members of Vigilance Committees and Magistrates, Role of NGOs and Monitoring and Evaluation of administrative structure in different states. Senior officials of the central and State government participated at the Workshop.
Since 2003, the Commission has been organizing a number of workshops on Bonded and Child Labour in association with the Ministry of Labour and concerned State Governments for District Magistrates and other State Governments officials. These workshops came out with a number of recommendations including - Immediate financial relief of Rs.1000/- to each of the identified and released bonded labourers, prosecution to be launched in all cases of bondage, convergence of work done by Government Department and NGOs, constitution of District and sub-divisional level Vigilance Committees, comprehensive psychological rehabilitation of the families and severe punishment to brokers and middleman who traffic child labour and export children from one State to another.