Dimapur, December 10: North East Institute of Social Sciences and Research, Dimapur – organized NEISSR Fest on December 10 to commemorate the Human Rights Day. The Community Development Forum organized ‘WeKnit-2021’ on the theme “Child Domestic Work in the Context of Child Labour”. Tsali Sangtam, Advocate, Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench, N K Keny, Proprietor of Love Care Home were the resource persons for the event.
Sighting the various forms of child labour in India, Dr.Fr. CP Anto, Principal of NEISSR in his keynote address said that Nagaland has its unique practice of the same in a different form called “gifting the child”.
“It has been noticed that some of the urban houses we see the rural setting children are brought to work as the domestic labourers in the pretext of taking care of the socio-economic and educational and all round well being of the child,” he said.
He said that there are 160 million child labours in the world. A child below the age of 14 is simply meant to enjoy life and not work. One should allow the child to enjoy till the age of 14 to grow emotionally, physically and mentally or else they will become a nuisance in the society, he added
Fr Anto further said in the scenario of Nagaland, children are employed as child domestic workers, automobile workshops, restaurants, etc. and encouraged the Social Workers to inform NGOs, child helpline and government agencies if they see a child employed in the workshops, factories, etc.
Hhe thanked the comperes, CD students and the coordinator for emphasizing and keeping the theme of panel discuss on Child Domestic workers.
The panel discussion session began with the moderator, Stephen Gangmei, Assistant Professor, NEISSR, with a brief introduction to the theme. Tsali Sangtam spoke on the topic “Child Domestic Work and Child Rights”. He mentioned that a child is a person who has not attained 14 years. He went on to say that Statistics on Child Domestic Worker and Child Labour in India is 19 million. 20, 179 million children who are at the age group of 6-14 years are employed and do not go to school.
According to the report of 2011, 4.3 million children were employed as child labour.
He stressed on different constitutional provisions, and articles related to child labour and domestic child worker. He further mentioned that any NGOs can approach the court for the rights of the children, and to prevent the children from exploitation.
N K Keny, discussed on the topic “Partnership of Government and NGOs in Strengthening Child Protection System and Services”. She shared that traditionally Naga society doesn’t have the class system but now class system is emerging in the society, which is a contributing factor for the increase in child domestic labour.
She mentioned that increase in child domestic workers is due to poverty, increasing rate of divorce, and lack of quality education. The parents of the children also mortgage their child because of inability to pay off their debt to local money lenders. The cases in Nagaland are increasing because of lack of proper support system.
Based on the deliberation the ‘WeKnit-2021’ has developed an Action Plan to create awareness in the community on Child Domestic Workers; strengthening systems to counter Child Domestic Worker and continuously monitoring and intervening on the issue; and to conduct research on Child Domestic Worker and propose for policy formulation at State level.
(Page News Service)
