Former child workers highlight cause at Delhi marathon

New Delhi, Sep 30 – Some 150 children, most of them former child labourers, Sunday joined the athletes, celebrities and thousands of sports enthusiasts for the Delhi Half Marathon to pledge support to millions of other children still deprived of their rights.

While some were rescued child labourers, some have once been trafficked to neighbouring states to work as bonded labourer. A few are even orphans who wish no one should grow without parents.

Preeti Kumari, a 16-year-old from Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad district, says she used to bunk school as she had to help her family in the bangle making work.

Her friend Akash, 15, adds, “We want a strict law against child labour. We are here to demand for that.”

Now with help from the NGO ChildFund India, Preeti was able to continue her studies. “I want no child in the country should be forced to work,” she told IANS.

All these children, who participated in the marathon, were the sponsored children of the NGO.

The organisation began work in the country in 1951 and is currently implementing child development projects in 78 districts of 14 states and the union territory of Puducherry.

ChildFund’s national director Dola Mohapatra said: “We are running to highlight the cause of children who are still in deprived, excluded and vulnerable condition.”

“We also want to highlight the plight of children affected with HIV/AIDS, and those who are unable to enjoy their childhood because of being engaged in child labour.”

Although India continues to record impressive growth rates, poverty remains widespread and disparities deeply entrenched.

Sixteen-year-old Sugna Kumari, from Galdor village in Rajasthan’s Udaipur district, said many of her friends were once trafficked to Gujarat to work in the cotton fields. She was lucky not to fall in such a trap.

“People (human traffickers) come and lure children in the village with money. Many fall in their trap as they are poor. However such cases are not heard in our village any more.”

“We have formed a Bal Sangh (children association) in our village to address our issues. We organise meetings with parents and elders to make them aware our needs and problems.”

According to the UNDP 2011 Global Human Development Report, India is ranked 134 out of 187 countries and UN-recognized territories.

Government estimates suggest 37 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

Describing about ChildFund India’s programmes, Mohaptra said: “All our programmes are designed keeping children at the centre place. Our strength is our deep understanding of children’s experience of deprivation, exclusion and vulnerability.”

(Sanjeeb Baruah can be contacted at [email protected])