Bhubaneswar: “Government of Odisha has formulated a master plan to eradicate child labour from Odisha by the end of 2025” said Subhash Singh, Chairperson of Odisha Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board while addressing the youths at the Master Canteen Square.
Children shouldn’t work in fields, but on dreams. Yet today, 152 million children are still in child labour out of which 73 million in the hazardous work. In India there were more than 10.2 million “economically active” children in the age group of five to 14 years – 5.6 million boys and 4.5 million girls, Eight million children were working in rural areas, and 2 million in urban areas, (ILO & UNICEF)
“Hundreds of millions of girls and boys throughout the world are engaged in work that deprives them of adequate education, health, leisure and basic freedoms, violating their rights. Of these children, more than half are exposed to the worst forms of child labour such as work in hazardous environments, slavery, or other forms of forced labour, illicit activities such as drug trafficking and prostitution, as well as involvement in armed conflict.”
Although child labour occurs in almost every sector, seven out of every ten is in agriculture. On this World Day, we also look forward towards UN Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7 set by the international community calling for an end to child labour in all its forms by 2025. In support of Alliance 8.7, we call for immediate action to address the remaining challenges so that the world community can get firmly on track towards eliminating child labour. Children are not meant to be labourers. This takes away their childhood. Every child must be stopped from stepping in to any form of labour – this is hazardous for any child, anywhere. It is every child’s right not to be a labourer. This issue should be addressed in all spheres and on priority basis told by Mr. Ranjan Kumar Mohanty, Chairperson of NACG EVAC India and Former National Convenor on Campaign against Child Labour while addressing the Public Awareness Rally.
On the occasion of World Day against Child Labour 2019 People’s Cultural Centre (PECUC), a leading child rights organization of Odisha organized a Youth against Child Labour – Public Awareness Rally & Signature Campaign in collaboration with Labour and ESI department of Government of Odisha on 12th June 2019 from Ram Mandir Square to Master Canteen. The Rally & Signature Campaign was Flag up by Chairperson of Odisha Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board Sj. Subash Singh in presence of Famous Ollywood Actress and PECUC’s Goodwill Ambassador for promotion of Child Rights Bhoomika Dash and Anshika Routray Goodwill Ambassador for the promotion of Right to Play and Anuradha Biswal, Olympian. Other esteemed guest like Kishalaya Sathpathy, Divisional Labour Commissioner, Arun Kumar Behera, ADM, Anuradha Mohanty, Executive Director PECUC, Ambika Prasad Mishra, District Labour Officer, Satyanarayan Acharya & Dharashree Mohapatra, Additional Labour Officer, Kuldeep Prasad, Labour Inspector participated in the rally. Speakers emphasized to stop child labour and give children a safe and secure childhood. There is need to work together to eradicate child labour and mainstream them through quality education. Though the Government & Civil Society Organisations of Odisha are taking up various steps for development of children and eradication of child labour but it is not sufficient enough to deal with such a big issue. Awareness and participation in the part of every concerned citizen can go a long way to eradicate child labour completely from the society. Every child deserves a safe and secure childhood; it is their most basic right stressed by the speakers. Hundreds of youth participated in this rally. Mr. Jyotisankar Mohanty, Mr. Prashant Kumar Mallick, of PECUC facilitated the programme.
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