By: Mushtaq Ahmad
07-December-2015
BARAMULLA: Poverty is forcing many a children in this north
Kashmir district to give up school education and work as labourers under
various government and non-government projects.
Imtiyaz Hussain, a class 4th student at Government Middle School in Uri’s Pehlipora area of Baramulla, has been working as a daily-wager under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
At the tender age of seven, Imtiyaz said that given his family’s poor financial conditions, he had no choice but to work as a labourer after school, closed now for winter vacations.
"Our financial condition is very low, my father is also a labourer and he can't afford our school fee. That is why I also work with a contractor for the NREGA scheme. I earn Rs 250 per day," he said.
Another child, Showqat Ahmad, a class 8th student of same school said that people living in far flung areas were extremely poor and hence children like him were bound to work to earn money.
"We know it is prohibited, but we are helpless, how we can afford school fee, uniform, books and other things. We have no other option without work in private," Showqat,11, said,
Significantly, current child labour law prohibits children under the age of 14 from being employed in hazardous jobs.
Like Showqat and Imtiyaz, a number of other children are working in hotels, shops and other private business units across north Kashmir. This despite authorities claiming they were providing financial assistance and scholarships to the needy children besides motivating them to go to school.
Mudasar Naqashbandi, an advocate of High court of Jammu and Kashmir said,”
“It is true that there are a number of children in rural and urban areas who work as labourers. There are schemes to rehabilitate these poor children, but all is in papers only.”
Block Development Officer (BDO), Noorkha Farooq Ahmad while taking to Kashmir Reader said that he would look into the matter.
"I don't know where small children are working in MGNREGA, I will visit the area soonn and I will personally check how children are working as labourers, who all are forcing them, and I will action against them" he aded
"If a needy child is working as labourer in any place, it means he has no further source of income, how can we run his family, how we support them. If I stop anyone how can I help them?” asked Aashiq Hussain, assistant commissioner, Labour, Baramulla.
Imtiyaz Hussain, a class 4th student at Government Middle School in Uri’s Pehlipora area of Baramulla, has been working as a daily-wager under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
At the tender age of seven, Imtiyaz said that given his family’s poor financial conditions, he had no choice but to work as a labourer after school, closed now for winter vacations.
"Our financial condition is very low, my father is also a labourer and he can't afford our school fee. That is why I also work with a contractor for the NREGA scheme. I earn Rs 250 per day," he said.
Another child, Showqat Ahmad, a class 8th student of same school said that people living in far flung areas were extremely poor and hence children like him were bound to work to earn money.
"We know it is prohibited, but we are helpless, how we can afford school fee, uniform, books and other things. We have no other option without work in private," Showqat,11, said,
Significantly, current child labour law prohibits children under the age of 14 from being employed in hazardous jobs.
Like Showqat and Imtiyaz, a number of other children are working in hotels, shops and other private business units across north Kashmir. This despite authorities claiming they were providing financial assistance and scholarships to the needy children besides motivating them to go to school.
Mudasar Naqashbandi, an advocate of High court of Jammu and Kashmir said,”
“It is true that there are a number of children in rural and urban areas who work as labourers. There are schemes to rehabilitate these poor children, but all is in papers only.”
Block Development Officer (BDO), Noorkha Farooq Ahmad while taking to Kashmir Reader said that he would look into the matter.
"I don't know where small children are working in MGNREGA, I will visit the area soonn and I will personally check how children are working as labourers, who all are forcing them, and I will action against them" he aded
"If a needy child is working as labourer in any place, it means he has no further source of income, how can we run his family, how we support them. If I stop anyone how can I help them?” asked Aashiq Hussain, assistant commissioner, Labour, Baramulla.
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