<p> Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium, appearing before a bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and A K Patnaik, said the statistics were very disturbing but he was prepared to contribute his bit for the betterment of the underprivileged children in the country.<br /><br />At least “12.6 million (according to governmental sources) to 100 million (unofficial sources) are stated to be child labour; 44,000 children are reported missing annually, of which 11,000 get traced; about 200 girls and women enter prostitution daily, of which 20 per cent are below 15 years of age,” he said reading out from the report he submitted before the apex court quoting a study of the NHRC committee on missing children.<br /><br />Shanta Sinha, Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, who was specially invited to brief the apex court, submitted that before taking a drastic step to ban child labour in the country, the bench should consider the plights of the children and their parents who are dependent on the earnings. <br /><br />She said the child labour force also had a significant contribution to the economy of the country. If all the child labourers were prohibited from working, most of them would starve, she said. <br /><br /> The report said: “Trafficking in human beings is not a new phenomenon. Women, children and men have been captured, bought and sold in market places for decades.<br />“Human trafficking is one of the most lucrative criminal activities. Estimates of the United Nations state that one million to four million people are trafficked worldwide each year. Trafficking in women and children is an operation which is worth more than $ 10 billion annually.”<br /><br />Subramanium said the government would initiate steps to publish and display on the electronic media a film on child development and the prevention of child labour by appropriate short documentaries/films. <br /><br />The Centre also suggested that use of children, including babies in reality shows of television, must be prohibited forthwith. “It is submitted that this Hon’ble court may be pleased to issue a direction that babies cannot be taken away from parents even with their consent for the purpose of being used in television serials. It is submitted that any violation of this direction must be viewed seriously to invite action for contempt,” the report added.<br /></p>
<p> Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium, appearing before a bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and A K Patnaik, said the statistics were very disturbing but he was prepared to contribute his bit for the betterment of the underprivileged children in the country.<br /><br />At least “12.6 million (according to governmental sources) to 100 million (unofficial sources) are stated to be child labour; 44,000 children are reported missing annually, of which 11,000 get traced; about 200 girls and women enter prostitution daily, of which 20 per cent are below 15 years of age,” he said reading out from the report he submitted before the apex court quoting a study of the NHRC committee on missing children.<br /><br />Shanta Sinha, Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, who was specially invited to brief the apex court, submitted that before taking a drastic step to ban child labour in the country, the bench should consider the plights of the children and their parents who are dependent on the earnings. <br /><br />She said the child labour force also had a significant contribution to the economy of the country. If all the child labourers were prohibited from working, most of them would starve, she said. <br /><br /> The report said: “Trafficking in human beings is not a new phenomenon. Women, children and men have been captured, bought and sold in market places for decades.<br />“Human trafficking is one of the most lucrative criminal activities. Estimates of the United Nations state that one million to four million people are trafficked worldwide each year. Trafficking in women and children is an operation which is worth more than $ 10 billion annually.”<br /><br />Subramanium said the government would initiate steps to publish and display on the electronic media a film on child development and the prevention of child labour by appropriate short documentaries/films. <br /><br />The Centre also suggested that use of children, including babies in reality shows of television, must be prohibited forthwith. “It is submitted that this Hon’ble court may be pleased to issue a direction that babies cannot be taken away from parents even with their consent for the purpose of being used in television serials. It is submitted that any violation of this direction must be viewed seriously to invite action for contempt,” the report added.<br /></p>
