'Education key to stop child labour'

 Students and  government agencies participated in various activities to mark World Child Labour Eradication Day in Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Hassan on Sunday.

Observing that sending children to work won’t solve the problem of poverty in the long run, Deputy Commissioner Dr K G Jagadish said that providing education is only means to solve the issue.

He was speaking at a programme organised to mark World Child Labour Eradication Day, in Hassan on Sunday. Pointing out that it was essential to send children to school, he said that literacy could be achieved only by improving awareness among people.

He said that the country can progress only if all children become achievers.

Involve in sports

He also said that apart from studies children need to involve themselves in sports also. Extra-curricular activities are an integral part of education, he added.

District and Sessions Judge K V Changappa inaugurated the programme.  He said that more than one crore children are working in dangerous jobs. He reiterated that the problem could be solved only by improving awareness.

ZP CEO T S Anjan Kumar, Hassan Bar Association President M N Jayaram, Deputy Labour Commissioner E Lakshman, Dy SP G K Channabasappa, CMC Commissioner Nagabhushana, Kannada and Culture Department Deputy Director Damodar and others were present.

Mandya

Addressing participants in Mandya, Principal Civil Judge R Sharada observed that parents need to take the initiative in the eradication of child labour.

She was speaking at a programme organised to mark World Child Labour Eradication Day at Kalamandira, in Mandya on Sunday.

Even though the government has made education compulsory for children below the age of 14, she said that there has been no change. There is a need for the society to join hands to root out child labour. She said that there is a need to make use of the legal services authority and counselling centres.

Deputy Commissioner Dr P C Jaffer said that in the recent years child labour has decreased. He attributed it to awareness among people.  He said that owing to poverty, many children join hotels and garages. If citizens come across such cases, they need to lodge complaints with the Labour Department, he added.

At the same time, children shouldn’t be allowed to work in  business establishments, he added.

Earlier, children took out a rally from the deputy commissioner’s office and passed through the city. Labour Officer A C Tamanna, Mohammad Yousuf, Bar Association President B T Nagaraju, Mahesh Chandraguru, Principal Civil Judge Ishrath Jahan and others were present.

Chamarajanagar

Speaking at Chamarajanagar, MP R Dhruvanarayan called upon non-governmental organisations to join hands with the Labour Department to root out child labour.

Reasons

He was speaking at a programme organised jointly by Legal Services Authority, District Labour Department, Bar Association and ODP institutions to mark World Child Labour Eradication Day, in Chamarajanagar on Sunday.

Pointing out that major reasons for child labour are poverty, illiteracy and superstitions, Dhruvanarayan said that overall development of the district will help root out child labour.
Even though the district has 62 per cent literacy, it is sad to note that child labourers from minority communities are increasing, he said. Kollegal JMFC Court Senior Civil Judge S M Kalaal, Judge Mallappa, Kollegal Taluk Panchayat President Padmachandra, City Municipal Council President Bhagyamma, Labour Officer Nagaraju, B S Basavaraju, Gangadharaswamy, Saraswathi were present.