Trapped in Silence
The recent report of a minor boy being physically abused by his employer in Kohima has sparked public outrage, leading to the filing of a formal complaint at North Police Station, Kohima.
- The recent report of a minor boy being physically abused
allegedly by his employer in Kohima district has sparked public outrage,
leading to the filing of a formal complaint at North Police Station, Kohima,
last week. The boy was reportedly working as a domestic helper at the house of
the accused for over a year. As disturbing as it may sound, this is not an
isolated case. Many such cases have surfaced over the years, and many could be
suffering silently in the hands of ruthless individuals. Financially disadvantaged
and impoverished families, mostly from eastern districts of Nagaland, send
their underage children to families in urban areas, particularly Kohima and
Dimapur, in the hope of getting their children a better education while working
as domestic help. However, many are exploited and abused mentally and
physically in the guise of providing education. This has prompted civil society
organisations from the region to stop minors from working as domestic help,
directing parents not to send their children to other families outside the
village without the consent of the village council, but it has proven
ineffective for several reasons -- poverty, limited access to quality
education, lack of awareness of child labour, and an indifferent attitude of
the educated. Sadly, hundreds of children continue to work in the homes of
well-to-do families in towns, far away from the care of their parents, risking
exploitation and abuse. This practice is so entrenched in our society that
people choose to remain silent despite knowing very well that it’s illegal. No
wonder the issue remains unaddressed to this day and rampant at that.
- It may be mentioned that after the recent incident in Kohima
district, the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has issued an
advisory, urging citizens and authorities to prioritise child safety and
protection while discouraging settlement of child abuse cases through
negotiation or compromises. Citing a surge in such cases, the commission has
also urged the public to report incidents of child abuse in any form to the
appropriate authorities, including Child Helpline no. 1098, the Special
Juvenile Police Unit, the District Child Protection Unit, or the Child Welfare
Committee, or file a First Information Report (FIR) at the nearest police
station. There are laws in place, like the Child Labour (Prohibition and
Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016, and Article 24 of the Indian Constitution,
that prohibit the employment of children in any occupation, but India has the
highest number of child labourers in the world, according to reports. The
figures for child labourers in Nagaland could be less in the official record,
but in reality, it is rampant in the form of domestic help. Keeping minors as
domestic help is nothing but child labour. This should be clear to all. We
shop, living in pretension at the cost of exploiting innocent children.
